the case of the i can'ts

let me preface this by saying i, we, are not perfect parents. far, far from it. i lose my patience, raise my voice a little too much, say things i shouldn't. let's be honest, the two's and three's are hard. and i do not always handle it like a good parent should. but i try.

addison's latest crisis of the two's has been "i can't" - the response to everything.

addison clean up your toys.

i can't.

addison head upstairs for bed.

i can't.

addison...

i can't.

like fingers on a chalkboard are those words to my ears.

so i quoted her phillipians 4.13 and quickly it became the verse of the week. and now one week later, not only can she say it when asked, she puts it to practice. this afternoon we were headed upstairs for nap time and i asked her to hurry up and this was her response:

i can't {pause} i can! i can do all tings trough Christ who gives me strenk.

phiwipians four fwerteen.

it was sweet. it was precious. it was a reminder that God's word is very much alive and very much changes the heart.

curb appeal

there is one thing the tingles have not been so good at - landscaping. interiors - check. exterior - huh?

we live in suburbia - aka cookie-cutter america. when we moved in, we were granted our 4 shrubs, one tree, and lots of red clay filled with cans, boulders and even a water hose. we have been through those shrubs along with many replacements including come shabby azaleas, a pitiful hydrangea and well, just some ugly plants.

my dad helped a year or so ago to "revamp" our curb appeal. so here we go. operation curb appeal is in affect. it is a work in progress and takes lots of time and energy but hopefully, in the next few months and coming year, that curb appeal will be curb envy :).

in addition to a yard makeover, hubby is growing me some veggies. the man doesn't even eat them but he is working hard growing them for me. tomatoes. squash. ochre. peppers. and my favorite - cucumbers. as i told my mom, this is not a southern living garden. no. we are talking straight up alabama garden. but if those tomatoes are half as good as i imagine them tasting them i couldn't care less.

and what is addison doing while her mom and dad slave away on yard work? she changes outfits. a million times. until she finds the perfect one. like i said, fancy nancy.

good things

waiting for the goods thing in life takes patience.

i have been really, really bad telling people about tiny tingle #2. i am so sorry. i am just shy of 18 weeks, not finding out, the name is riley wells either way, and due in september - right in the heart of football. what were we thinking? at least babies sleep alot. or at least i hope this one does.

so we wait. for riley. such a good thing.

i am finally nailing down a time to go see sister - sans addison - and cannot wait to just love on annie without little miss begging for the same attention. i so want annie to know addison well, but dang it, she is going to know me first - their secret giggles can wait. it is mine turn first.

so i wait. for a visit to tulsa. such a good thing.

and as for little miss. she loves her ice cream truck. she got lots of money in her eggs this year at the krack easter egg hunt and instead of putting it in her bank like we usually do, we {i} and letting her buy ice cream from the ice cream man. no worries - he doesn't come everyday.

so addison waits. for the ice cream man. i would have to agree - ice cream is a very good thing.

on a side note - it is tax day and starbucks is giving away free coffee if you bring your mug. um, yes, thank you...that i will not wait for because i am going RIGHT NOW :)

good morning

just a silly picture to start the day off with a smile. there was a little answered prayer yesterday so there is much to be smiling about!!

and it is spring and so beautiful...

and masters week...

and i am 16 weeks and actually feel good today...

and well, happy hump day!

mommy-mode

this was addison exactly two years ago.

sometimes i just love spending time looking back at her pictures. it is just so amazing that such a tiny life can grow that much in such a small amount of time. it goes by quickly. too quickly.

yet, then isn't it funny how some days seem to linger, at a snail's pace, for who knows what...a diagnosis, a move into a new home, a positive sign on a stick, a week long vacation from work...snail's pace i tell you. but even in these instances, one day you look back and they seem to become just another step in this journey.

now that i have the blessing to stay home with addison, i have let my days become filled with mommy-stuff. i am always in mommy-mode. gone are the days of mommy-mode having a pause button while i became designer-whitney. but it is ok. i like mommy-mode. sometimes.

i was telling a friend the other day that now that i am home, i would like to say that i get to the end of my days with addison and i think about what we did, how we behaved, did i discipline enough, and did she learn enough. but sorry folks, if i were to be honest, i would say the only thoughts plaguing me at the end of the day are "did addison and i laugh enough, giggle enough, smile enough? did we hug enough and did i tell her i love her a million times?"

i have been told i am a little idealistic. and i guess those thoughts fall into that category. but i like being that way. and i hope, that in two more years i will look back at another picture and smile knowing we giggled ourself to sleep. everyday.

update: for some reason little miss thinks it's funny for me to talk like a robot. so i did, and we giggled. all the way to sleep. it was a good day.

nothingness

over one week in and i find myself wondering where does the time go? what the heck are these days filled with? we wake up and before we know it we are going to bed. but you know, i am blessed for days filled with nothingness. i have longed for the days for 2 1/2 years and now they are here. and i just get to watch this little miss take her baby for a stroll...

and take my order for lunch. somehow i always end up with mac-n-cheese and sweet tea no matter what i ask for...but i don't complain because we all know mama loves her some sweet tea...

and most of all i just like being near her, taking care of her, laughing with her. it is sweet. time out and discipline is not so sweet but you know, it is all part of the game.

fancy nancy

day three at home. i feel very blessed. and addison feels extremely free to wear whatever. she. wants.

and she does until it is time to go out in public, real public.

but as soon as she comes back home, she races upstairs for yet another special outfit. a fancy nancy outfit.

why do i care? i don't, because i am doing the same thing.

i love day three.