That's my girl

I don't think my girls are perfect.

I try to be realistic about their strengths.

I try to minimize their weaknesses.

I try to acknowledge temperaments & birth orders when I correct them or evaluate how or why they do what they do.

I want to encourage them when I see them make great choices, when they do something kind for someone, when they try their best even if success doesn't follow.

I've tried to encourage them to be who they are, to find the "thing" they love & pour their heart into it. I don't want to live vicariously through them, as if my own teen experience wasn't fulfilling enough for me, as if i need their success to make me feel like a great mom or make me appear successful in the eyes of my own peers.

I want them to be individuals & be proud of the young ladies they are becoming.

I don't want them to feel competition amongst themselves. Its so hard for girls these days & I'm certain it must be hard for three of them, so close in age, to grow up & feel the society induced pressure to be just like the one before them.

While my desire for them is to have strong character, rooted and grounded in our faith , I don't want to make them be anything different than who God has created them to be.

I don't have a favorite even though you see more pictures of the baby :) But some days I do enjoy the company of one maybe more so than the other.....we are a house full of 5 women after all ( just keeping it real) & there are hormones and emotions to keep balanced!

But there are those days when I feel just an extra sense of pride for one of my girls. Saturday was one of those days. Savannah has always been very organized & responsible. She has great leadership skills . I have told her that she has always proven herself trustworthy & because of that , she has earned the priveldge of certain freedoms.

She had spent weeks trying to orchestrate all the details for her large group of friends & their homecoming plans. She didn't exclude anyone from her group, which made me proud because she herself had been excluded from another group. She took it like a champ & rounded up several of her favorite friends ~a great group of kids! She helped organize the picture location, the parents that would drive them downtown to the chosen ( reasonably priced) restaurant , & the home that they would all enjoy the after-party.

We shopped for her dress a few weeks ago. I had sort of dreaded shopping because I knew we needed to keep it in the budget & she tends to have expensive taste. Plus, how often do 15 year old girls & their moms agree on wardrobe choices. Went to Dillards & I found this gorgeous ivory dress, she loved it, I loved it , & it was in our budget. ( Can you believe that, I picked out the dress......I won't rub it in)

She spent Saturday afternoon doing all those wonderful things girls do before going out on a special night....she was cheerful & laid back.

Her two best friends were going to homecoming at a different school but dropped by on the way for some pictures. Savannah has a great sense of humor & helped them relax as they seemed a bit nervous about their own big night.

Savannah's date was her best guy friend. Her friends say they get along like Will & Grace ( except Zack isn't a gay guy!). So there would be no awkward feelings, no drama, just great fun.

When we arrived at the chosen picture place there were at least 10 couples & all their parents. Definitely a challenge to do large group photos. After taking what seemed like a million of the posed pics I could tell Savannah was getting frustrated ( too many cooks in the kitchen!). I whispered to her just walk off with her girlfriends & be silly~they love those shots the best.

She had a fabulous time. Most all the couples were all just great friends so we didn't have the worries of all the things that go along with boyfriend/girlfriend issues~whew.

I am always proud to be her mama, but I was extra proud of that sweet child of mine this past Saturday night!

things that made yesterday a great day

~temps dropped to 53 in Atlanta
~ i filled my gas tank after only having to wait 30 minutes in line
~its candy corn season
~the mailman comes to my door .....its always a good thing when the mailman comes to my door.
& he hands me my autographed collectors edition of Matthew's new Halloween book
(thank you Matthew & thank you Linda!)

~ the meany boy didn't bother Caroline on the bus

~ordered this precious dress from one of my new favorite blog friends ~found this yummy velvet pumpkin & should be arriving any day now from them
~my 15 year old daughter tells me that one of her bff's asked if she & I wore the same size jeans. we don't ....but if we did, she would "need to borrow your moms jeans that she wore to the football game last week...they were so cool"
only the mom of a teenager can truly appreciate this historical day in my life.
~the biggest thrill of all..... today I go to Gap to buy jeans ( different pair than the said cool teen worthypair) . I never buy jeans. I seldom wore jeans over the last few years because I didn't like the way they fit me ....& my friends, I left there with these


in a size 6---6 my friends!! Same time last year I was in a 14!
Now please don't tell me Gap jeans run generous, or that because they are stretch jeans that I really am a size larger.....I want to live in the thrill of a size 6! For some of you , that size is ginormous but for this mom who has struggled with the ole '3 babies in 3 years' ( yes that was quite a while ago) and then just life and the lure of french fries, buying in the single digits is one glorious event!

So , with all this good news, surely a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks is the best form of celebration!
Well, that & sporting my new cool jeans at the ballgame tonight--wink :)

(ps--i know pride comes before the fall and all the other cliches but so does enjoying the moment & todays moment was a good one--enjoy your moments today too)

She

~She loves tumbling . She tumbles all day , every day. She watches big sissy at her competitions & is inspired. Her coach tells her she'll be caught up with sissy in about 2 years....that pumps her up!

~She eats ice cream everyday after school. She prefers chocolate chip mint, or most anything with chocolate in it, adds milk, chocolate syrup, & princess sprinkles ( pink & blue which when melts into the green ice cream is ever so lovely.

~She loves to read. She loves Junie B Jones. When she reads Junie B to me, I laugh hysterically. Surely the author has meant for little 7 years with a voice just like hers to read her books!

~She is a snuggler. When I wake her in the morning, I tell her she smells just like a warm buttered biscuit. I love warm buttered biscuits. When I'm at work, she'll send me a text message ( off daddy's phone of course) telling me that my warm butter biscuit is waiting on me!

~She doesn't like meany David that rides her bus-he yelled in her ear. She doesn't like Sam because he threatened to stick up his middle finger. She told him that was a really bad thing to do. He shot her a birdie anyway. She'll be taking a note in to the bus driver tomorrow. ( yes i did change their names, not that any of my neighbors read my blog or anything)

~She has her toes painted frosted cashmere blue.

~She loves her ginormous bubble gum flavored Lip Smacker lip gloss.

~She didn't want to wear her insanely cute Mini Boden dress to school today ( pictured above). She tried to smile but i could see her face getting all blotchy & red as she was trying really hard not to let me see her cry. She picks out her clothes 6 days a week, ok?!

~She told me I could pick out her clothes the rest of the week after taking her for a breakfast burrito this morning....to help avoid Sam & David of course and ease the pain of her 'unfortunate ensemble'.

~She's 7 1/2 & I think she's wonderful

i am a lucky girl

yesterday amidst the stress of our nation's economy

all the talk about John McCain's suspended campaign

the 'into the night' talks at the Capitol

Letterman acting like a jerk

with my almost empty gas tank~

I hooked up with my new found 'thanks to the world of blogging' friends

i giggled & laughed

i was hugged

i played at Pottery Barn Kids for almost 2 hours

i watched two little birdies flutter around our table at The Corner Bakery

i learned about Chinese adoptions

i learned about her surgeries, one of many

i learned about my new friends

i delighted in my day

& i left with a heart full of gratitude for a precious little girl & her warm, loving mommy and how they made me feel like a lucky girl ....just to know them

photo courtesy of pixel fairy productions :)

the kindness of a stranger

this blogging community is amazing. you probably are already quite familiar with the nielson's story. apparently, there has been a phenomenal support from the blogging world for them....prayers, auctions, news stories, the list goes on. kindness from people that without the internet would otherwise be strangers.

while i may never meet any of this family, i feel such a connection to stephanie. i think of her often & pray for her daily. i printed out a few of her gorgeous photos ( thank you wendy) to carry with me & have in my bible. while i sometimes feel guilty for spending too much time surfing around on blogs, finding their story has given me confirmation that this online world is a good thing. i am honored to be given the privilege just to come along side of some incredible families & their journeys and lift them up with prayers and encouragements.

i am also humbled by many of the friends i've made out here the last year or so. several of you have lifted my spirits on days when i'm down. sweet pixel fairy princess dropped by unannounced one day ---waaaaaaay out of her way, just to bring me a giftbag full of treasures. thank you friend, you are a treasure.

i have met sweet courtney who i will hook up with for lunch in just a little bit.

i've met a couple of young moms who my hubby taught ( just a few) years ago :)

so while i may spend a little too much time on line, i am forever changed and blessed by the kindness of what would otherwise be a stranger & the many wonderful 'you's' out there.

so thank you.

"Something that has always puzzled me all my life is why,

when I am in special need of help,

the good deed is usually done by somebody on whom I have no claim."

~William Feather ~

also, thank you to my sweet mom for bringing us pot roast, fresh bread & yummy yummy homemade chicken salad while i was a little below the weather this last week.

that same day my awesome journal from rebecca sower arrived. nothing like homemade goodness & an etsy treat to cheer me up!

madison has begun practice for the nutcracker....she will have dance 8 different times in each 6 day cycle ( all before the performance even begins!)....this really excites her but wears me out just thinking about the logistics

we're also knee deep in football season 'round here.
games each friday night & cheerleading competitions on saturday mornings.

emily is loving getting plugged in with the vast amount of youth activities our church holds. we are blessed to attend a church whose heart is to reach the next generation. the programs, the people, the everything is to help these kids get a solid spiritual foundation especially while in middle school.

she was so sweet the other day. she said " mom, i think its a good thing that i'm not busy with alot of extra circulars. that way i can be at church for all the great things there".

preach on emi!

you have a kind heart & you inspire me to be a better person.took these pictures sunday.....this little bit is just growing up way too fast

The smallest act of kindness
is worth more than the grandest intention.
~Oscar Wilde~