Thankful

many people on blogs and facebook posted what they are thankful for each day in November.  i often thought about what i was thankful for but never posted.  today since it is the first of December (posted only 12 days later... yes, slacker) and I need to live up to my slacker mom title, i want to reflect and post on what I am thankful for from the past month.

i am thankful for my wonderful little girls.  they are sweet, charming, entertaining, loving, and so much more.  they challenge me and they warm my soul.  they are truly precious gifts to me.  even if some days i would like to post a sign that says 'free - you haul' on the back of the 4 year old.

i am thankful for an understanding husband.  he knows i am weird and loves me anyway.  he knows that i also kick ass too.

i'm a nut

i went in to little nut's room to wake her up to nurse her.  it is my morning ritual before i head off to work.  she was sound asleep and was pure lead to pick up.  i then sat down in our rocking chair and she nursed.  then when i went to put her back into her crib.  she had her eyes wide open and she gave me the biggest, most sincere, love-full grin.   she is full of these sweet smiles that make me smile and warm me from within.  i was worried that she was now wide awake and wouldn't want me to put her down.  but, then i laid in her in crib and she snuggled her 'sweet pea' toy and went back to sleep.

it is one thing that has kept a smile on my face today.  she is such a sweet and loving little nut.

Xmas 2010 Card

Colorful Joy 2010 Christmas

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Peek-a-boo!

the machine

i don't know when the official last day was, but the machine was getting used less and less.  i had intentions of using it.  then i got hit with a lot of work that had to be done like yesterday and today it was too late and you can't step away for two seconds to pee let alone to take time to pump.  seriously... i got a text message while i went to the bathroom asking where i was because i had important business types lurking around my desk and then asking others where i was.  yeah, sometimes work gets a little crazed.

so, last week i packed up the machine and the spare bottles, breast shields (what kind of term is that anyway?!  it brings to mind images of armor intended to shield from arrows and bows or a riot police shield.  but this is a shield only because of it's shape - not meant to protect the boob from flying objects.), storage bags and tubing.  and now it sits in my spare bedroom.  i want to sell it on craigslist but am feeling oddly attached to it.  finding myself thinking... what if i just used once in the morning.  what if i NEEEEEEED it.  what if we go out and i should really pump to keep up my supply.  what if, what if, what if...

my lil one is over a year old and she loves to nurse.  she will put her hands down my shirt and grab for them if i don't immediately give her milk when she frantically signs milk with both hands. so i really think it is time to 'let go'.  i was never in love with pumping but i think it is a milestone that i haven't completely accepted.  my baby is growing up and the time was short.  the frozen milk is almost gone.

it is time to get rid of the machine.

am I evil

yes I am...(song continues to play)

I really, really, really, really want to buy cloth diapers for two of my friends that are having babies.  One is completely anti-cloth and the other one probably just doesn't know much about them.  I think the one who is anti-cloth would be upset with me and would want to return them right away without giving them a shot.  I just am so pro-cloth and a wee bit fanatical about them. 

I know I have heard the one anti-cloth friend say that my daughter stinks when she is in a cloth diaper.  So, yeah, that was my fault.  I haven't been doing a great job at getting the stink out of the diapers lately.  It is more lazy momma than anything else.  I did one really sanitizing load and it cured the stink.  So, really that stink factor should be nill.  But, stink does happen even to the best of us cloth diapering mommas.  Now the only stink factor is poop.  Which whoo boy!  poop happens.

Another anti-cloth sentiment is that she has read it causes more stress on the wash machine.  Part of me says well... maybe.  But, do you put jeans in your laundry with the rivets and the zippers and the heavy duty jean material?  I think so.  And jeans are so heavy and they are hard on clothes... which reminds me that you are supposed to wash jeans separately than other clothes because it will damage the clothing fibers over time.  So, I don't think my wash machine will be any less fantastic or be shorter lived because I do a load of diapers every night for a couple of years.  Actually, I think you are supposed to use wash machines.

I am debating about just asking anti-cloth friend if she would use them if I got them for her.  Granted, she may not want to hurt my feelings but it could be worth asking.  Otherwise I will just buy them for her and if she wants to return them... so be it.  Then the second part of the decision... maybe the hardest... which one to buy?!!

cake and tarts

I made several desserts this weekend for Nat's first birthday...  one was a cake wreck that I did not get a picture of.  (thinking back on it, I should have)  The follow up to the cake wreck was a set of cupcakes decorated by Big Sister. 

And the third dessert was the fruit tarts... Here is a picture of my fruit tarts

They were delicious and all those who ate one enjoyed them.  They were pretty enough, but today I was reading one of my favorite food bloggers - Cookie Baker Lynn and she had a picture of her tarts...   These are what my tarts dream to look like.