Six?

On this day in 2006, I brought home this sweet, cuddly baby...

For most of that first year, I wore her in a wrap as many hours a day as I could because I knew she was the last baby I would have to hold and cuddle.

In fact, I wore her around so much that Avery (at age two) thought that's how all babies, including baby dolls, were supposed to be carried.

Even when she was too big to hold, I still thought of her as my baby. Admittedly, I sometimes tried too hard to protect her and comfort her. But I liked the thought of her needing me, so I kept wiping the tears and holding her close as she went from a baby to a toddler.

And now, she's six years old! Six?!

She is beautiful...

And full of life...

And definitely NOT a baby. There are still tears to wipe, but not as many. The opportunities to hold her close are fewer and further between. But I love the girl she has become -- confident, curious, funny and a total chatterbox.

I'm so proud of her.

Stop and look around...

In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller...

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

He was so right. I think about where I was even a year ago and how much my life has changed...how much my kids have changed...and I wonder how all that can happen in the space of 365 days.

I need to slow down. Take better notes. Share the little things that make up our life -- not just the big events. (Don't worry...you won't see any photos of my laundry or dirty dishes. I don't need to remember those.)

So as I stop and look around today, here are a few things that are making me very happy right now:

Iced Green Tea from Starbucks
I love iced tea of any kind, but this Green Tea has a little touch of mint and it's very refreshing! The fact that it's shaken, not stirred, makes me feel kind of fancy (like James Bond)!

Toms Wedges
Seriously my favorite shoes right now -- so comfy! Why didn't I jump on the Toms bandwagon earlier? And more important, which color should I get next?

Bluebonnets
The only redeeming factor of my commute to work is that these gorgeous wildflowers are literally EVERYWHERE right now. I wish they would stick around longer, but the truth is they'll be pretty much gone in a few weeks. I'll certainly enjoy them while they last!

Photo from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellamike81/7012895149/in/photostream/

Charming Charlie
It's not enough that they have a bazillion different accessories: earrings, scarves, handbags, belts, watches, etc. No. They had to go and sort the whole place by COLOR! If it weren't for my kids saying "can we go home now?" I would be in there for hours upon hours.

Fashion Star
I really didn't want to like this TV show, but it sucked me in. It's pretty fun seeing clothes come down the runway that I could actually buy and wear. Unfortunately, this could get expensive. I ordered these shorts from last week's show...

And in case you're wondering, I'm taking a little break from F.R.A.K. this week because I need to do a little more sorting to find out what I still have to give away. Come back next Friday, and I promise I'll have something fun up for grabs!

Have a great weekend!

Uninspired

This is odd. For the first time in a while, I'm not itching to get into my scrapbook room. In fact, each time I walk in there, I turn around and walk back out. It's like a switch got flipped in my brain, and I have no desire to make anything at the moment.

Image source: http://idigenglish.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-digs-mojo.html

Is it the change of seasons? A side effect of the massive amounts of allergy medication I'm taking in my War on Pollen? Or is it simply a creative lull? Like a writer who has writer's block.

Whatever it is, I know I can't force it. Then my beloved hobby -- my escape -- would seem like work. No. Can. Do.

So while I'm waiting for the mojo to return, I keep taking photos, going places and collecting stories, like this one...

A few days ago, my girls were watching a Disney show called A.N.T. Farm. And because I had no urge to scrap, I sat down and joined them. I can never watch a TV show without asking questions, so the conversation went like this:

Me: What does A.N.T. stand for?

Avery: Advanced Natural Talents

Me: Oh, you have some of those! Like you're really good at puzzles and word games.

Avery: Yeah, I guess. (pause) What's Cecily's Advanced Natural Talent?

Me (looking over at Cecily, who's laying on her back with her legs flopped over her head, sticking her tongue out at me): Um, I think it's comedy -- making people laugh.

Avery: Oooooh, yeah, that's a good one.

Me: So what's my Advanced Natural Talent?

Avery: Scrapbooking!

Cecily (now sitting upright): No!!! It's LOVING!

Me: Awww... (tears)

One little word

It's about that time. Time to say goodbye to 2011 and make a bunch of resolutions for 2012 that I probably won't keep. My resolutions are usually the same every year:

Lose weight. Exercise. Spend less money.

I usually fail on every single one of them.
 
This year, I'm going for something simpler: One Little Word.

It's a popular trend for scrapbookers these days to come up with One Little Word that will be their goal or an area of focus or a guide for their actions in the new year. You can read Ali Edwards' take on it here.

One word sounds a whole lot easier and less threatening than my usual resolutions, so I'm jumping on the  bandwagon.

Here's my word:

That means getting rid of negative energy and replacing it with thoughts of all the good and wonderful things in my life. Not dwelling on what I didn't get or do or say. Letting go of disappointments and mistakes and what could've or should've been. Choosing laughter over worry and stress. Looking at the beauty in things rather than analyzing the flaws.

That is my goal for 2012.

And if I lose weight or start exercising, that'll be a bonus.

What's your one little word?