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"We are not put on this earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are always there for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you.
-- Jeff Warner"What I want to say to you is that sometimes life catches you by surprise and you feel unequipped to handle what it brings you, but every bit of life you've lived before that moment equips you to live through it. That's what I would give to you."
-Fanni Victoria Green-Lemons (talking to her daughter)If there is any secret to this life I live, this is it: the sound of what cannot be seen sings within everything that can, there is nothing more to it than that.
"The most important thing she'd learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one."
-Jill Churchhill
>One of those days…
>This morning we dropped Leila off at daycare and when I crouched down to get my morning goodbye hug, Leila’s wonderful soft baby cheek was pushed up against mine and it took every ounce of will power I had not to just scoop her up and turn around and leave. It is kind of embarrassing when your kid is trying to get away from your overbearing embrace so she can get to the playing already. I could sure use another one of those baby hugs right now.
On to phase 2 of today’s update. Comic relief. So we have been working with Leila on manners. She is really good at “Please” and “You’re welcome”, and needs a little reminder for “Thank you” and “Excuse me”. So this weekend Leila and I are hanging out and this conversation takes place:
Leila: Farts and says, “I farted”
Mommy: “What do you say?”
Leila: “You’re welcome”
This is now officially an inside joke at our house. All burps and farts are promptly followed up with, “You’re Welcome.”
So much for teaching manners.
The Camera has been located. Stay tuned for a video of Leila multitasking as she somersaults in the living room without taking her eyes off of the TV.
Disclaimer: We really aren’t terrible parents, even though our 2 year old daughter does know and use the word fart and watches Family Guy (It really was just once). Really, we aren’t terrible parents. Really.
>Enough
>I get a lot of junk email, I think we all do. This is something that I recently came across while wading through my inbox. It came attached to a heart warming story about saying goodbye. I didn’t feel the need to put the whole story here in my blog, but if you want to see it, you can find it here: http://www.bobperks.com/wish.htm
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much
bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Goodbye.”
This story and blessing made me ask myself the question: Do I have enough?
I am one lucky woman, I feel blessed everyday to wake up with my husband who I just know I was meant to be with and to get to peak over the edge of my daughter’s crib to see her bright brown eyes looking up at me and a playful smile on her face.
My answer to that question: I have more than enough and I will always want more. In the words of my beautiful daughter when faced with the last cookie in the bag, “one more Mommy, please, just one more!” One more day with everyone I love around me. One more day of sunshine before the rain comes. One more.
I think we have probably all come to the point when God has cut us off of the cookies. Sometimes I have a hard time enjoying the cookie I have because I know it might be the last one. To me this poem, forwarded from a chain email, is a reminder to savor that cookie you have. So though I may be looking forward to my next home, my next car, the next big step for my family, I am reminded to thank God for all of the abundant blessings that I have right here. I have enough. I hope that you are able to ask yourself that same question and be lucky enough to share my answer.
>Heard in our car this morning…
>on the way to school.
Leila: “Hi Daddy”
Daddy: “Hi Leila”
Leila: “How doing Daddy?”
Daddy: “I am good, how are you Leila?”
Leila: “How doing Daddy?”
Daddy: “I am good, how are you Leila?”
Leila: “Good Daddy”
And then as we pulled up to Love-A-Lot, “Yay! School day!” I love that she loves school!
>Lost Camera :(
>For those of you that have been checking in hoping to see updated pictures of little Leila I am sad to report that our camera is missing. I do have a couple of pictures to offer you that Aunt Dani took on Easter though. She also took one of her picking her nose, but I would consider it cruel to post such a thing, so here is our baby.
>My Smart Girl
>Cory was traveling again this week (Boo!!! Hiss!!!) so Leila and I had a lot of one on one time. I can’t tell you that I mind that part of the traveling. Sure, my house is a mess and we eat mostly premade crap, but I like to give all of my attention to Leila. She is a lot of fun!
So Tuesday we are driving home from daycare and I had given Leila a book to keep her busy. 
I had the radio down so I could hear if she needed anything from me, and I hear coming from the backseat in an absolutely adorable little baby voice, “red shirt, blue shirt, yellow shirt, OOPS!!” I was totally shocked! She obviously can’t read but she does know her colors (this I knew already) and I thought it was so cute that she got the book well enough to be able to “read” it. I was so excited that I had to call my sister right away to tell her all about it! 🙂
>So if you read the 7 random things about me, then you know about my problem with the news. Well, the news around here is impossible to avoid, and it is heartbreaking. I can’t stop thinking about this family, this poor woman and her children. I am only comforted by the thought that they are all in heaven together. Don’t click this link if you are as sensitive as I am to tragedy.
http://press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080326/NEWS01/803260332/1079
My heart goes out to this whole extended family and all of the parents who have to explain to their children why they won’t be seeing their friends again. I can’t imagine the pain that this man must have been in to do this, but my heart goes out to him as well. On to day three of trying not to cry at my desk while I sit here unable to think of anything other than this sadness.
>I always hesitate to write here until I feel like I have something to say…and I am not really feeling it this evening, but I have a bunch of pictures in my photobucket just begging to be posted.
So, on the way home from daycare we sometimes have snacks in the car to get Leila by. She loves these HyVee brand fruit snacks with curious george on them. She calls them “Monkey Snaps.” So on the way home the other day she asked for monkey snaps so I opened up the package for her and handed them over my shoulder to her in the back seat. She promptly ate them all up long before we made it home. So she says, “One more monkey snap?” and she holds up her one finger. It was the CUTEST. I had to tell her no, and she responded “One more monkey snap, peas! One more? Two? Two?” Wow is it hard to say no to that kid!
Look at that face? Could you say no to this?
Leila loves to give her cousin hugs and kisses
Ok, disclaimer…please don’t take note of the big fat momma doing pilates, but rather focus on how freakin cute it is that Leila tries to exercise with mommy.
This was our project two weekends ago, replacing the kid destroyed carpet with easy to take care of laminate floors. I am very happy.
Leila was a big help, as you can imagine.
And she seems to be happy with the new rug!
Zoey hates it, but I can’t feel too badly for her.
Here is Leila and Daddy snoozing on the new rug
Now look at my sister. Can you believe she has a whole month left to go?
>7 random things about me
>This is tough, but I have been challenged by Jessica, so I am giving it a try.
1. I have a love hate relationship with my job. Somedays I am so glad to have it and it makes me feel important, and other times I just wish I could sit at home all day with Leila and go for walks and hang out with all the Stay At Home Mom’s in my neighborhood.
2. I hate taking the same route over and over again, so I tend to randomly turn down the wrong street just to find a new way to reach my destination.
3. I can’t handle watching the news…I get irrationally upset for people that are touched by tragedy, even if I don’t know them.
4. I love homemade stuff. I am always trying to figure out how to make stuff myself instead of buying it. If I buy something I know I can make I feel like a sucker.
5. I am overly competitive, if I don’t think I can win at a contest of any kind, I usually just won’t participate.
6. I am addicted to Blogs. I read tons of blogs, blogs written by people I don’t know. For some reason their lives are interesting to me. I am facinated by people of all kinds.
7. My Myers Briggs personality type is INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging) It is the least common of all of the types.
I am supposed to make others do this as well, but even with all of the blogs that I read, I don’t know of any other bloggers that read mine, aside from my tagger that is! :). I guess that is the introvert in me, forever a lurker!
>I know that I have a whole month of photo ops to add to this, but I wanted to preview it for you all here! I love this song and I hope you enjoy watching the pictures of Leila has she has grown.
Jumping Daisy 