Thankful Thursday

How is it Thursday already?  This has been quite a busy week with Mike gone again.  It's amazing how hard being a single working mother is.  I have so much respect for women who do this full time.  I have a tough time for a week here and there.  Mike is in for quite a treat when I head to Europe for 2 weeks.

Here is what I am thankful for:

1.  Gwendolyn's pure and innocent love of her mother (aka ME).  She now calls me mommy.  She loves giving kisses and hugs.  When I pick her up from daycare she comes running full speed and lets me smother her in kisses.  Most of all she says her version of "I Love You". Those are 3 words I will never get sick of.   Her smile lights up a room and even now I still get excited to see her in the morning and after daycare.  She's the love of my life and obviously I am one of the loves of her life (she loves her daddy too!!).

2.  Nachos.  Seriously.  I love nachos. 

3.  The feeling you get when you are excited about something.  I fly to NY in a few weeks and I am just so excited to see my family and have my family spend time with Gwen.  It's that anticipation that lets you know you are alive.

4.  Target Brand Sudafed.  Works just like the real thing at half the cost.  It saved my day today.

5.  Bad movies.  I worked from home yesterday and Fear was on.  I got sucked in.  Why are bad movies just so good?  In my opinion it's because it is a mindless release from the real world.  You don't have to think.  You just sit there and get entertained. 

Wordless Wednesday: Gwen's Mug Shot

Summer Fun

We have had a great summer.  I can't believe it is already August.   Some highlights (with pictures) were :

• Gwen ate corn on the cob for the first time and loved it
• Grandma & Papa J brought a sprinkler for Gwen and she had so much fun playing in it
• While my parents were out for a visit we took Gwen to the zoo. She got to ride the carousal for the first time and loved the elephants and giraffes. 
• We realized that nice dinners are a thing of the past.  Gwen isn't a fan of sitting still when there is so much world to see.
• Swimming every weekend of course

"BEBE"

On Saturday we brought dinner to Tarra and Brent because they had a baby 5 weeks ago.  Gwen got to meet her little new friend, Jack.  I couldn't wait to hold him.  I thought Gwen would be extremely jealous.  Boy was I wrong.  At one point I asked her if she wanted to hold him.  She did!  So I sat her next to me and laid Jack's head on her lap (my hand was supporting his neck of course).  She petted the baby's head and did "coochie coochie coo" to his chin.  She also gave him kisses and a hug.  I then would have his little hand tickle her foot and she would laugh.  It melted my heart to sit there holding a 5 week old with my daughter next to me.  I have never had my uterus ache to have another baby before.  Anyway, she would walk around and say with authority BEBE!  It was amazing to watch her interact with him and be so good with him.  Congrats to Tarra & Brent!

Makeup

There are some morning that Gwen is awake before I begin getting ready for work.  I take her in the bathroom and sit her on the counter next to me.  I set my makeup basket next to her.  She has learned how each of the items are used and evidently learned which brush you use with which kind of product.  I learned that little ditty today.  I was opening a new pressed powder and she looks through my brushes, grabs the biggest one, and hands it to me. 

Between wanting a star tattoo and putting on makeup, I have a feeling I am going to have my work cut out for me, considering she isn't even 2 yet.

Thankful Thursday (already??)

I am so far behind on pictures and blogging.  The days are just getting away from me.  I promise that I will post summer pictures soon!  As for the top 5 things I am thankful for, I have been in a funk and have been pretty negative, so instead I am going to post the top 5 funny things that Gwen does.  I am so thankful for her innocence and how hysterical she is without even trying.

1.  "sprinkle sprinkle".  She now loves having things sprinkled on her food.  Her favorite is grated Parmesan cheese.  She'll sit and point to all of her food and say "prinkle prinkle".  We can't even try to trick her anymore because she feels the food and knows there is nothing on it.  She is too smart for her own good.

2.  Pseudo potty training.  We bought Gwen a couple toilet seats that rest on the normal toilet.  She loves to sit on it and sing songs.  When you tell her to go "pee" she just yells "PEE".  She has yet to go but has spent quite some time just sitting there.  It's always fun when she pees on the carpet after walking away from the potty.

3.  Where's my star?  I recently got a tattoo of a star on my wrist.  Gwen loves it.  She now keeps looking at her arm wondering where hers is.  Not until she's 18 :-)

4.  Panting.  When we used to ask Gwen "what sound does a dog make" she would say "ruff ruff".  Now she just pants.  She also says "mommy pant" (yes she now calls me mommy!!). 

5.  Equal Opportunity.  Gwen believes in equality.  When she kisses me she also has to kiss Mike or whatever family member is in the room.  This mentality goes for hugs, "cheers", feeding play food.....etc.  She leaves nobody out and includes everyone. 

Gwen's Star

A star represents "a quest to find one's way home".  Since I moved out to Colorado in 2001, I wasn't sure where I belonged.  I wasn't quite sure where to call my home.  I felt like a lost soul torn between two lives.  It wasn't until Gwen came into my life that I realized my home is where she is, no matter the location. 

I got a tattoo today of a star on my left wrist.  I call it Gwen's Star.  No matter where I am she is with me.  Every choice I make in life will have an impact on her, so Gwen's Star is there to remind me of that.