I loved today

I try to love every day.  but, I especially loved today.  I woke up to a hello kitty mother's day card decorated with a million stickers as well as a homemade one...you know, the construction paper kind.  I also got a new bible because that is what eden told pete she wanted to get me for mother's day.   she just thought of it in her 3 year old mind.  I'm really excited to have the message translation now. 
yesterday eden kept whispering happy mother's day in my ear and then asking if it was mother's day yet.  she had those cards hidden under her bed, and I've never seen her so excited.  this was the first mother's day that she actually understood what was going on.  she was so proud to give me things and shower me with hugs and kisses. even with stinky morning mom breath.
It was also my first mother's day with charlotte mae outside the uterus.  she has a cold and was a runny nosed and eyed baby, but was still as sweet as ever. 
it will never be anything but miraculous when I look at my girls and try to comprehend that they are mine.  well, of course God's.  but...came from me. with help from their dad.
I love eden's curly blond hair. her striking blue eyes.  how she remembers everything. how she gets in trouble for trying to pick up charlotte 20,000 times a day.  her voice. her hugs.
I love charlotte's nose. her rolls. her breath.  her smile.  and how lately she won't go anywhere without this plastic green ball.  sleeps with it, bathes with it, takes it to target.  I love how her eyes light up when her sister or dad come in the room.
I loved today.

first pool turd of the season

since it's been in the 90's this week I decided that today needed to be the first backyard blow-up pool day of the year.  I was pretty excited because a month or so ago I bought eden and charlotte matching swimsuits.  I can't help it...I am a sucker for matching those cats.  so, I got them dressed.  eden brought about 400 barbies and floaty things outside that needed to swim with her.  we moved the slide so that they could slither right into the water.  filled up the pool with cold hose water and let them in.
eden was splashing around like an old pro, and charlotte acted like she'd been doing it for years as well.

all was dandy until charlotte got that look that all moms know well.  she was squeezing a big one out.  and since I wasn't prepared (and I want to buy a reusable swim diaper) she wasn't wearing anything but her suit.

so. the matching swimsuits were no more.  we stripped her naked, hosed off her dimpled booty, and put on an old suit of eden's that I'd just resurrected from the attic.  the turd fell onto the grass in the changing process and pete almost threw up at the sight of it.  he is so weird.  he'll shovel dog poo all day long, but his own kid's poop makes him gag.  I love him, but that just doesn't make sense.
I'm looking forward to swimming in the backyard all summer long.  even if that means cleaning up a little poop now and then.  it happens.

a mother's prayer

been thinking a lot about mothers and mother's day.  about people who have lost their mother.  mothers who have lost their children. and people who desperately want to be mothers.  about my daughters.
and then today I remembered a song that my sweet friend juli put on a cd that she made when eden was born.  it's called a mother's prayer and is sung by celine dion...to the tune of the more popular song 'the prayer'.  and of course, in true mother fashion, I cry and cry most times I listen to it.
I am incredibly grateful to be a mother. to have incredible examples of mothers in my life...one being my very own.

I pray she finds your light

 and holds it in her heart

as darkness falls each night, remind her where you are

every mother's prayer, every child knows,

need to find a place... guide her with your grace, give her faith so she'll be safe