Alternately titled:
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
DSS, Avert Your Eyes!
“Don’t worry guys, I’ll get you out!”
Extraordinary Faith for Everyday Life
by Amy 3 Comments
Dani was just blogging yesterday about her three daughters’ sense of style. It’s been amazing to me to see my own girls’ style evolve as they have gotten old enough to pick their clothes. For a very long time, Emma could care less about what she wore. I put on a matching outfit and she didn’t think twice what was going over her head before school. In the past year or so she has definitely started paying attention.
Emma is feminine all the way. One of her favorite outfits this summer is a tan animal print tank with gold glitter and a cream lace vest. She loves her ruffled gold sandals. Many of her things are light colors with flowers or a butterfly. All very girly and stylish. She likes delicate things that fit her small frame well. If I would let her she would wear a simple tank and a short flair skirt all the time. She also has a casual side to her and is very happy in t-shirts, jean shorts and converse tennis shoes. This past winter she loved her skinny jeans and riding boots, as pictured above.
Lexi is feminine as well but with an edge. She likes bold, bright colors. She doesn’t shy away from black or animal prints. If something has sequins or glitter, she’s all for it. She is a huge accessory girl. Just today she was playing and had a black sequined hat, bright purple glitter scarf on with a hot pink, green and yellow printed tank. The girl loves prints and color! She’s been known to walk around in earrings and necklaces several sizes too big. She likes to say she’s very “fashiony”. But she also has a casual side to her and is happy in a simple shirt, cargo shorts and crocs.
It will be interesting in the next few weeks as we begin school shopping to see what they go for as they head into new grades. With a summer nearly past us now they haven’t had their friends nearby to influence their style. Just a few days ago Emma said she wanted converse high tops which seemed to come out of nowhere; they certainly did not get a love of high top converse shoes from me! I can’t wait to see how their style evolves as they get into adolescence and teenage years, but then again, I think my wallet is screaming that it can wait!
Disclosure:
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and jcpenney blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
The DHEC inspection this morning was painless. The inspector was SO nice and flexible. Less than 15 minutes but a few things we have to do.
All painless and cheap. Yay! The DSS rep that is coming for the fire pre-inspection on August 3rd will check all these things.
Tonight is Beth Moore and I am ecstatic. I get to go with Dani (&friends) and Heather and I hope to get to meet BooMama. ECSTATIC.
I talked to Lexi today and like everyday, she says she misses me. This morning I said, “I get to see you in one day!” She gets panicky and says, “But I don’t want to leave the beach!!” I guess she’s doing quite fine.
by Amy 7 Comments
Emma’s 9 month old toes, freshly painted, ensconced by my own, as I hold her, help her be.
Emma’s toes 8 years later on the same brown carpet in the same gray beach house looking all grown up, too much like her mother’s but without her.
I may not be holding her, but I’m there. She’s inescapably mine. And I miss her.
by Amy 10 Comments
This is an example of the kid conversations you just can’t make up and make parenting FUN. Forewarned it may embarrass some of you. Especially you boys. FOREWARNED.
Emma finds my lipstick bag in one of my old purses and asks if she can have the lipstick. Seeing that I haven’t used that bag or the lipstick in it for approximately 2.8 years I’m guessing I don’t really need it so I say sure. I hear Emma excitedly telling Lexi back in the hall that I let her have ALL the lipstick. A minute later Lexi comes walking in holding up a tampon.
“I think you’re going to need this.” She hands it to me over my computer monitor.
“Yeah, thanks.” I say, hoping she leaves it alone and walks away.
But no.
“Do you use that to go to the bathroom?”
“No.” Lord, please let her leave it alone.
“Do you pee on it?”
Knowing that sometimes it’s just better to go direct with the answers I take a deep breath. “No. I put it inside me.”
Her face scrunches up and she points at her throat. “You EAT THAT?”
More deep breaths. “No, I put it in my vagina. Do you remember me telling you how I bleed a few days every month?” No reactions so I just keep going, “I put that in my vagina so the blood won’t come out. It’s like a cork!”
Her face scrunches even more. “EWWW!” She walks away as fast as she can. And only a few sentences too late.
Deep breath.
*This* is parenting.
by Amy 4 Comments
The other day I was going back and forth between rooms cleaning and doing laundry. Really! I was! I noticed Emma had been watching TV for awhile (hence the cleaning and laundry) so I said, “Emma, you need to turn the TV off.”
I finished at the washer and came back through. She was on my computer at my desk.
“Off my computer.” I said and kept on going back to the bedroom.
When I came back through she was sitting on the couch playing a game on her DS. I said, “Emma! Get off your DS and go play.”
She came over to sit with me where I had stopped to check my phone and said, “Can I play on your phone?”
After I affirmed she couldn’t she said, “Can I play the Wii then?”
”For goodness sakes, no!”
by Amy 6 Comments
She stood in a checked pink dress and watched the flat iron brush through her hair in the mirror. She’s taller than she was back in August. And I remember brushing the flat iron through her hair back then while she stood in another pink dress. Brand new shoes. Depending on her big sister to help her navigate this new place. Since then she’s lost her baby face. Lost a few teeth too. But she’s gained a lot of confidence. Reading skills. Friends. A favorite teacher. A love of school. And today, a graduation certificate to commemorate a beautiful year of Kindergarten. I sincerely could not have asked for a better teacher, classmates or school. It’s been nothing short of miraculous answer to prayer.
And for the record, MawMaw and PawPaw had to scoot out before we could get pictures. They definitely were there to support you, Lexi-bug.
And Miss Emma finished 2nd grade. After Lexi’s graduation, we called her out of class to meet us at the office but decided to go get a picture of her and her teacher. A not-so little girl was already half-way down the hall. “Sup, Alex,” she called out to a passing classmate. She giggled after he passed and said, “Sup. I just wanted to say that.” More giggling. How did she get so confident? Gone was the hesitant little girl I left with half my heart in Kindergarten almost 3 years ago. We snapped a picture of her and her teacher in the classroom. Once again, a wonderful answer to prayer.
But this is the year of friends for Emma. Definitely some strong friendship. Maybe a little drama. But mostly fun.
And with that, we say goodbye to school…
…and hello to summer.
by Amy 5 Comments
The last few weeks I feel like we’re turning some kind of corner in parenting. I’m starting to see rolling eyes, sighing, “fine”s, pouting, talk about boys and friends and stuff I just don’t like. They don’t respond to just a look and you have to work through many more heart issues. I want to be clear that overall my girls are happy, well-behaved and a joy to be around. It’s just when the hard times come, I feel out of my league. Older parents, please help. Do you have books, sites, DVDs, or just good ‘ol advice for us?