Happy Birthday, Stella!

Could it have been three whole years since I held her for the first time? I'm already crying, and I've only typed that one line. Sheesh.

Her birthday spirit is dampened this year, a little, by a cold that started about three hours before her party yesterday. Needless to say, the pool portion of her party was cancelled, but we still had a little picnic with four of her friends, complete with Happy Meals and cupcakes. The kids were happy to be outside in this beautiful fall weather, and Stella seemed to enjoy herself too, despite the raucous amounts of snot pouring from her nose at all times, like this:



Here are a few other photos from her party too. Look at this little cutie:



And the whole gang eating cupcakes:



Today we opened a few presents just as a family. You can tell by her watery eyes and overall expression she doesn't feel so good, but we had to record this birthday like the others!



And one of her favorite presents, play makeup:



There are so many things I love about Stella. She is curious, interested, entertaining, and entertained by most anything. She is adventurous without being too reckless, compassionate and empathetic, and really, she's just fun. I couldn't have asked for a better child to break me in to this parenting thing. I can't wait to see what she becomes in this next year and more years to come.

I love you, Stella.

The Big 3-0

Yes, that's right. I'm no longer in my 20s...today is my 30th birthday!

And what a great one I had. It began with a little bit of sleeping in, followed by a hot breakfast cooked by my husband and daughters. A big sign hung in the living room that says "happy birthday mommy! we love you!" And tonight, our first night out since Meg was born, dinner at a great little restaurant in downtown Waynesville.

I never imagined that by the time I turned 30 I would have so much to love. I can't believe my life is this full! I feel like the luckiest person on earth.

Three more days, and my baby turns three. That one is killing me way more than me turning 30!

Pics from her b-day party Saturday to follow. Good night!

too tired to think of a title

here are a few photos from the last few weeks - we are great, surviving life as a family of four. more news later, but for now, a few pics:



stella at botanical gardens - unc-asheville campus



meg not too impressed with those gardens




picnic at waterrock knob - highest point on blue ridge parkway




pretty stairs at waterrock knob




meg with crazy wet hair


will write more later!

She Said What?

Stella has really been making us laugh lately with the things that come out of her mouth. And I'm not talking about the food she chews for 10 minutes before deciding, "Don't like it!" and spits it out. (That actually isn't very funny.)

It was a gorgeous day. The birds were singing, and Stella was playing in her sandbox in the backyard when she paused and screamed: "Stop tweeting, Birds! Or you're going on the Naughty Towel!" The Naughty Towel is our version of the time-out corner. She laughed; she was just kidding. But darned if those birds didn't stop. (Buoyed by this, she may one day attempt to steal Christmas.)

It was bath-time, not exactly my favorite time of day anyway. And it's become even more loathed as Stella screams and hollers worried she's going to get water and soap in her eyes. Never mind she's received a hair rinsing every day of her 1000-plus-day life. All of a sudden these days she can't deal with it, and it's wailing and gnashing of teeth every night at 6:30. So after about 10 minutes of tears and sobbing I say: "Fine, we won't wash your hair again. Ever. It will get dirty and greasy and smelly and stinky and sticky and yucky."

Stella actually listens to me as I tell her this. Then her scowl reappears: "THAT DOESN'T SOUND GOOD!" And continues to sob.

Finally, the other day Marian asked Stella, "You want to go downstairs with me and help me with the laundry?"

Stella responds: "No, you can do it, Mommy." Even more encouraging, she adds: "I know you can do it, Mommy! You can do it all by yourself!"

And it's true. Marian really CAN do it all by herself.

Using cuteness to get out of chores. That's our daughter!

Am I Dead, or Just Out of Touch?

This happens to me all too often. I'm watching TV and think, "I thought he was dead!"

Mike Wallace. I thought he was dead!

Andy Rooney. I REALLY thought HE was dead.

So ... either I'm just out of touch, or ... I'm dead, and the afterlife is a parallel universe where the same old people hold the same jobs.

Can you imagine Mauri Povitch NEVER going off the air? If that's the way that heaven is, then I don't want to die!