Chasing Fireflies

What a wonderful, wonderful day...

We started with a girls' date at the zoo and shared chit chat and cheddar popcorn in the shade. After our tummies were full, Lily wanted to go see the frog fountains. Lily is so kind-hearted and sweet that I'll admit her wishes often get overlooked to appease her gregarious little sister (love you, Abby Rose!). Today, however, we did what she wanted first and her smile on the frog melted my heart. She is such a blessing to me. Such a kind soul and the light of my life. I've never met anyone as sweet as Lily and I doubt I ever will.

After, Addy napped and Lily helped me clean. Quite the helper. She put away a ton of toys and books just to make me happy (her words) and even helped me dust. Again, she amazes me daily.

Tonite was shared with friends at the Huntington Woods Babysitting Co-op pool pizza party. We had a great time and Daddy even convinced both girls to go under water after jumping. Such a huge accomplishment. I was so proud.

I thought the best part of the day was next... shakes and slushies at Sonic. (Lily in her bathing suit and Addy naked). However, I was wrong... Nothing could compare to chasing fireflies.

Lily really truly noticed fireflies for the first time tonite. She's seen them before, but was fascinated tonite. You should have seen the look on her face when I told her we could try to catch them. So off we went... down the street. Around the yard. One girl in a bathing suit. One girl in barefoot toes and a belly. Trodding around our little part of the world. And the world stood still. For a moment while I watched.

Disney Day 1 - February 14th - Happy Valentines Day!

This is going to be the beginning of a (probably too long) series of blogs documenting the best trip I've ever taken. No. Seriously. I am not exaggerating. There was something special about this trip. Lots of somethings. First, there was something so exciting about seeing Disney through the eyes of my girls. Something so magical and wonderful and enchanting. Second, and probably most importantly, was experiencing Disney with the ones I love most. All of the ones I love most. My wonderful husband and girls. My Dad and Cyndi. And my Mom. All of these people that I love so dearly decided to put the past aside to make new memories for my girls and I and for that, I'll be eternally grateful.

The trip started out with the worst part. The drive. Yes... 4 adults decided to take the plunge and drive to Florida with 2 little tiny girls. (Mimi had to fly due to her limited time off work.) We left Dayton (on Feb. 13th) at 8pm with 2 girls and their Mama squished in the first row of seats. Cyndi took the pilot seat and Grandad was the co-pilot keeping Cyndi going. Rob slept in the back waiting for his turn. Cyndi and Rob took turns driving all night and we arrived in Florida just as the girls woke up. This alone was magical. Imagine being a tiny little person who goes to sleep in the snow and wakes up to a welcome center in Florida. So cool!

We checked into a Residence Inn for a little bit of snoozing, but the girls couldn't wait to get this Disney Party started. We headed to Downtown Disney for dinner and an evening of fun. Lily and Addison were delighted! Little did they know that this was only the beginning....

** Special note... these posts are going to be full of grammatical errors and probably endless babbling. They may not make sense and they may not be good entertainment, but they are filled with love and special memories. They are a way for my family to remember the magic. :)

Just another update...

Right now, I'm squished. Squished and so so happy. Two girls weaseled their way into my bed and are now sleeping peacefully. One with a "no Abby crib, Mama crib" and one with a few tears about going to school. So... for now they're right where they want to be... and so am I.

It seems like every day things are changing around here. Just little changes that you barely notice until you look back at pictures and realize how drastic they really are. Addison has officially become a "big girl." She is quite the talker and says phrases like "I did it!" and "Mess, Mama. Clean up mess." (and then she does!!). She wants to be like Lily and do everything herself, but still cannot be 2 feet away from Mama without a "Mama, I miss you! Snuggle!"

Lily has hit a bump in preschool. She loves it when she goes, but cries about it every night before. I only mention this to look back on it. Someday, I know I'll look back at this and smile remembering  her wanting to stay with her Mama. Today it's hard, but someday, it will be bittersweet. Once at school, however, she's flourishing. She writes all her letters, loves to do crafts and giggles when she talks about Jackson ("who's funny when he jumps up and down"). She also likes to start every sentence with "ahem" and loves to sing songs. 

Both girls love princess anything and especially love to sing the songs from "Frozen." Addison's favorite is "Do you want to build a snowman" and she sings about every 5th word. Lily belts out "Let it Go" with absolute pride and perfection. Some of my favorite moments are watching them play together. They love each other so much. Last night, while playing with her sister, Lily said, "Mommy, I'm sorry I knocked over the glass, I was just busy having so much fun." They also both love Winnie the Pooh and singing the "Up/Down" song. Do you notice a theme here? Clearly, we don't like to sing in this house!

Now, it's time for me to go back to snuggling my perfect girls. Tomorrow they'll be a day older, so I'm going to savor a few more moments of tonight.

Showers

Many a night I hurry to take a shower. I sneak in the bathroom, shut the door and hold my breath to see if the possibility of showering alone exists.

Last night, like so many that followed before, I had just begun to feel the rush of hot water when I felt a rush of cold air and heard a little voice. "Mommy, can I stay with you?"

As it always is, the answer was yes. Lily pushed the bath mat a little closer to the tub and tucked herself under the curtain inside her "tent" (as she calls it). Tonight, she was accompanied by crayons and a printout of Brave we had just printed for her. The whole shower she meticulously colored, sang and chatted with me. The results were beautiful.

Last night, was not unlike so many nights, but I can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop thinking about laminating her picture and the image of her tucked in her special place, legs poking out, that sticks in my head. 

I can't stop thinking about how much I'd love to shower alone, but am sort of glad I don't. I love to shower with my little best buddy, too. I love her songs. I love her chatting. And I will always love that laminated picture of Brave.