Girls' Week

I am writing right now starring at the beautiful new yummy smelling, puppy whimpering, chest snuggling...

Claire Ellen Shaffer

Life couldn't be better!

My friend, Amy, is a rockstar. Seriously folks. This girl delivered a beautiful new baby a month ago, already looks like a supermodel and... get this... is staying home a few nights a week ALONE with her bubbly 3 year old and her new little bundle of joy. Amy's husband, Chris, just recently got a new job a few hours away, so the poor guy has to leave his family for a few nights a week and Amy has taken it like a trooper. I've watched it first hand and she is the stuff dreams are made of. Super Mom. Lily and I got to join her for the first few nights of this and I've been taking notes... I don't think I could do this well with one kid, no less, two. As a result of the new situation, however, Lil and I got to enjoy some "girls only" time with some of our favorite girls.

I know I've said it before, but it so unbelievably amazing the feeling I get spending time hanging out with people that need no pretense. Amy holds every story and loves me for my greatest triumphs and despite my greatest faults. It's a feeling of total acceptance and the ability to just truly relax and be me with my kid and with her kids, too. The best.

Another great surprise during this trip was the chance to get to spend time with another old friend that Amy and I lived with, Caroline. Caroline brought her gorgeous girl, Sydney with her and we all got the opportunity to catch up and fall back into the exact place we were six years ago... with the addition of four little mini-me munchkins.

The day ended with sad goodbyes to Caroline and Sydney, but a little late night fun with the leftover girls.

"Because the truth is... it was the best of times. Mistakes were made, hearts were broken, harsh lessons learned, but all of that has receded into fond memory now. How does it happen? Why are we so quick to forget the bad and romanticize the good? Maybe it's because we need to believe that the time we spent together actually meant something, that we were there for each other in a time in our lives that defined us all, a time in our lives that we will never forget. I can't swear this is exactly how it happened. But this is how it felt." ~Dawson's Creek

I wanna be like you, Mom...

I've grown up convinced that my Mom is Martha Stewart...or better... Or maybe Martha Stewart mixed with a Rockstar. Either way, my Mom is AMAZING . Seriously. If you knew her, you'd want to be her. Homemade dumplings? She's on it. Pants for my daughter? Done. Gift card holders? Yep. Knitting? I taught her and I'm pretty sure she surpassed my "scarves only" rule in a second flat. So you won't be surprised when I tell you that having a Mom like this is the best thing ever. The bad part? Having a Mom like this makes people think you can do magic like hers... And in my case, that's not even close to true. I'm lucky if I can make a hot dog and my knitting tends to look more like Christmas tree skirts. Interested? I could start a business... My crafts always seem to fall a bit short. So when I started my latest project, I started with the same assumption I always have... The best laid plans always leave room for disaster. And disaster it was... At first. And then magically, it turned into something a little better than disaster. Not perfect, but for me, not perfect is an amazing accomplishment. So, for the first time, I really got to enjoy my little slice of the pie. My little taste of success. It might not be as great as my Mom's, but maybe I did inherit a little something... If only the love of the game. It wasn't as good as my Mom would have done, but for me, it was sweet success.

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What do you sing?

She's just about asleep in the car. I snuggle her close and take her to her room amidst her protests. I sit in the rocking chair and I sing to her. Spice Girls. if you wanna be my lover. Circa maybe 1999 at best. After that? A little Whitney Houston. Some Fiona Apple. A little Ella Fitzgerald to round it out. Mostly college favorites. And I think... Will she remember this? Should I censor myself to Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers? But then I think of being in my own Mom's arms. Granted Cat Stephens was definitely a bit more appropriate. But more than anything, I remember how great it felt no matter what she sang and how Cat Stephens will always be a lullaby in my head. So maybe Spice Girls wasn't my best choice, but I can only hope something way worse will be popular by the time she cares. I can only hope she'll think of Scary Spice and she'll think of her Mom. And that's not all that bad.

These are the moments...

"These are the moments
I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments
I'll remember all my life
I've found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more."

-Sara Evans

These lyrics played in my head all weekend. They played in my head as we played in the sun with great friends that are more like family. They played in my head as Rob, Lily and I fell asleep all tangled in bed together watching fireworks last night. These are truly the moments. These are the ones I'll look back on when I'm old and gray saying, "Those were it... The moments that mattered. The best moments of my life." How blessed I am to live this charmed life with these amazing people I love... And even more blessed that they love me back.

Sunday Gratitude... Especially Birthdays!

This week's edition of Sunday Gratitude has to feature my favorite thing of all...

1. MY BIRTHDAY!!! Usually, my birthday is absolutely my 2nd favorite day of the year (2nd only to Christmas... and I really like Christmas!). However, this year, I wasn't too in to it. I did no planning and just figured I'd treat it like any other day. The number one greatest thing this week? Friends and family that don't let your birthday just "go by." I am so extremely blessed... I can't adequately describe it.

Walking around Birmingham

Last Year on my Birthday...

Oh what differences a year makes...

My friend, Michelle, remembered my birthday... even on her wedding day!

2. A Daddy that loves his little girl... and a little girl who loves her Daddy!

3. Playing outside on beautiful days

4. New words and phrases all in one week: "Bye-Bye," "Thank-You," "No Tucker," "Stuck," "Bubbles"!!!

5. A Keurig for my birthday... 

...and a GREAT cup of coffee on the back porch with my favorites.

6. Pretzel M&Ms in my Mum's Candy Dish and the way they make my girl brave.

7. My Brave Girl that fell off of a swing, barely cried and forgot about it as soon as we gave her M&Ms. Rob and I both agreed we'd still be crying while she was munching away.

8. Living a charmed life where I get to have drinks with my handsome husband on a terrace overlooking a gorgeous golf course (well, at least yesterday :) and knowing how lucky that makes me.

9. The perfect little pedicure specialist. :)

10.Rob having Monday and Tuesday off so we can play just a little bit longer...and get a few more snuggles in, too!

Blessings

This weekend was a precious one for the Oneskos as it was the first one in a while where we got to spend the weekend remembering how great it feels to be a part of our family. We spent some good old fashioned Walton-style family time together and got a chance to reflect on our accomplishments, our disappointments and most importantly, our blessings. We got to celebrate what it feels like to live in our house and spend time with people we truly love (and the dogs, too ;) ).

One of my friends started something pretty cool recently. She calls it "Capture Gratitude" You can view her blog here (you, should, too!). She basically lists ten things she's grateful for every Sunday to start the week off right. I thought it was such a good idea that I'm going to try to do it, too. So...here are my ten for the week:

1. My husband. He is my best friend and the greatest father I could ever want for Lily. Even though we are completely opposite (and we are, too... down to our blood type!), I cannot think of anyone better to "do life with". He is my best friend and my constant soundboard for all my thoughts and dreams. And even when he tells me that my Disney dreams are super unrealistic, he silently tries to make them happen anyway. Without him, I would not be able to fulfill my greatest dream of all... raising my daughter in a home full of joy, love and lots of laughter. (Oh yeah, and he also watches Gilmore Girls with me. :) )

2. Lily. My beautiful, smart, sassy, funny, sweet, sensitive Lily. (And yes, I could go on and on.) No struggle seems too big when this little girl smiles and reaches her little arms around me. I melt. She is my greatest joy and the best thing I've ever gotten to do in my life is to be her Mommy.

3. Our parents' support. Rob and I have the most supportive parents in the world who love our baby just like we do. They are always there for us when we need them and watch Lily over and over so that Rob and I can spend time together confident that our girl's in good hands. I never get tired of watching our parents love Lily.

4. Breakfast in bed Sunday mornings, snuggling and watching 90210. Yes, you read that right. What? That's not a show for a 1 year old? Well, we'll just hope she remembers the family snuggles in bed more than she remembers the drama going on between Dillon and Kelly... but either way, I don't know many people who get to have family snuggle time every Sunday and I love that we make it a priority in our family.

5. Gushers. I mean, really... who doesn't love gushers? In this house, we all love them. I'm especially grateful that I had a coupon this week that made them $1/box. Yessssss!!!!! (I also love the adorable blue that they turn Lily's face!)

6. The City of Birmingham. Okay, so some might say that this makes me a snob... but really it doesn't. I promise. I love taking my little girl there to enjoy the things I loved as a kid. I love taking her to play at Shane Park. I love feeding her Brooklyn pizza and stopping at the Cupcake Station (a new addition). I love the Birmingham Library and The Community House. I also loved taking Lily to the Birmingham fair, even though she hated it. Last, but not least, I love taking her to Booth Park and telling her the story of how her Mommy and Daddy built that park together... and how even though we weren't dating yet, the people we worked with were certain we were. Yep, that's a good one.

7.  New little faces. Suprised. Happy. Stubborn.

Mad.

Pouty.

And let us not forget.... "Cheese!"

8. Silliness. Especially when you're both laughing.

Believe it or not, she was giggling in there. She thought it was hilarious!

9. A little girl who loves balls. I was terrified of playing sports as a kid and I think I missed out. I'm so excited for her to love sports and all the memories she'll make playing them.

10. Getting up every day watching Lily find something new to explore. :)

Sometimes

Sometimes I really have to remind myself to live in the moment... To take in her smile, to kiss her little hand, to gaze back in her little eyes... Especially at nap time. Nap time is the most precious time of the day and the most rushed. I rush around begging her to go to sleep... To follow my schedule... And sometimes I miss it. I miss her chattering away about our day...even if I don't understand. I miss her smiles at me that lovingly say "I'm glad you're my mommy." Sometimes I don't quite notice her snuggled up around my arm murmuring "mom" as she goes to sleep... And sometimes, I live in the moment. Sometimes I cherish every little bit of the best part of my day. Sometimes I sacrifice dishes for a few more cuddles. And it is more than worth it.