{Sunday Photographs - 53}

First let's address the pictures shown above.

1 - These are the poses I get when I say to act natural. I am afraid of how they would pose if I said to give me attitude.

2 - You see what's all over everything? SNOW!! We woke up to snow covering everything. It's been snowing, hailing, slushing off and on all day.

Today was a pretty chill day. We slept in until 7:30 this morning (a whole hour and a half extra!) and then enjoyed lounging around in our pj's until it was time to get ready for church.

We watched "A Dolphin's Tale" after church. I cried. I'm an emotional baby when it comes to anything dealing with special needs regardless if it's human or animal.

I thought to myself while watching Bret grilling pork chops outside in his Winter jacket how glad I am to be a woman. When I expressed this thought out loud to Bret he said he was glad that I was a woman too.

No more snow please.

{Bits}

1.Jonas has been walking around looking like a confused fairy/hero. I always suggest something other than the fairy wings but the girls have trained him to prefer the pink wings.

Poor kid.

2.Sunday is my Mom's birthday. She will be 54. She will be okay with me writing her age because she hasn't been too sure on her age for years.

She says it's not important. I agree.

3.This week has been beautiful and sunny. We've played outside multiple times throughout the days looking for lady bugs, traumatizing (and eating - Jonas) potato bugs, and riding our bikes.

4.Today is the last day of school before Spring Break. The forecast for the next 7 days...COLD and rainy. Awesome (and by awesome I mean, not so much).

We still have plans. Museums,food, movies (hello "Hunger Games"), Disneyland, crafting, camping out in the backyard, and a healthy dose of Spring cleaning.

5.I am impatiently waiting for these shoes. Gotta love birthday money. I hope I love them as much as I think I will.

Anyone know tips on suede shoes?

6.My Gardenia plant in the front room is finally blooming! It's one of my favorite smells. I may have thought about taping a flower under my nose so I could smell its scent all day. Mmmmmm...Gardenia.

It's only a matter of time before one of the kids picks the flowers.

7.St. Patrick's day is tomorrow. We will all be wearing green and the kids will follow a green ribbon all around the house that the Leprechauns left to find a box of Lucky Charms cereal. Nothing too fancy.

I'm sure, as is tradition at our house, we'll watch "Darby O'Gil and the Little People", one of Sean Connery's finest films. Maybe I'll make corned beef, potatoes and cabbage...we'll see.

8.Tune in tomorrow on HGTV to see us win the Dream Home. What?! I said before I'm using The Secret and The Force so of course we're going to be the winners right?!

9.Ella overheard me telling Bret that Disneyland is hiring/holding try outs for entertainers. In all seriousness Ella looked at me and told me I just HAVE to try out to be Pocahontas. Um...no.


Enjoy the weekend!

{Worth}

Ella came home from school.

The same old routine kicked into gear.

I asked her how school was. She gave me the run down. I askd what were the good parts? What were the bad parts?

Usually the bad parts consist of "nothing was bad...today was awesome".

But not today.

Ella explained to me that some boy in her class has been calling her fat and ugly.

What?! WHAT??! Who was this kid and where did he live?

I called Ella over, gave her a hug and asked her how she felt about what he'd been saying. Her shoulders shrugged and she said they hurt her feelings but she knew that what he said wasn't true.

I was filled with a variety of emotion, but most of all I was proud.

Proud of her and her confidence.

I could care less if the boy or anyone for that matter thought my child was pretty or smart...it's not about him/them. What I cared most about was how she felt about herself and if she knew her worth even if others didn't.

I know some of you might be thinking that perhaps the boy is teasing her because he likes her, I've heard that said before to other kids. That may be, but what does that teach my kid if I tell her that the reason why a boy is calling her names and treating her poorly is because he likes her?

Will she then think the "norm" of a relationship is to have someone who treats you less than what you are and deserve because that means they care?

This incidence got me thinking...choppy, fast thoughts of things I needed to write down, talk about with Bret and share.We spend a lot of time teaching the girls to see beautiful things in everyone they meet. To find the good in all things.

I need to remember to do the same thing I am teaching my girls. I get laxidasical in making sure I'm only saying or thinking well meaning, good and positive things about people, situations and life in general.

I'm sure the boy at school who called Ella those things didn't come up with those on his own. I wonder if he's heard those same words come from a parent or someone he looks up to?

I know 100% that my kids have heard not so great things come from me and I need to do better at making sure that I am practicing what I preach.

Lately we've had talks with Ella with a couple of things she has said to her sister or more recently something that was said to a friend.

Though they weren't meant to hurt they still did and when asking her why she said the things she said she didn't even understand what she was saying.

Could this be the case with this boy? Who knows...but it did make me think that I need to be sure to teach my children to be aware of the things they say and if they don't understand a phrase or what they want to say, then don't say it. To think before they talk.

Isn't this what we all need to be doing as well?

It scares me to see what pressures my children are going to be growing up in. It scares me to know that I have to do all that I can to instill in my children the knowledge that they are wonderful, beautiful,intelligent human beings, then let them go out into the world and let them fend for themselves.

If they fail out there in that regard...then it's on me.Father's are important, especially when it comes to their daughters.

Having a good male role model in your life, one that you look up to, who treats you with respect, tells you you're beautiful, smart, confident, who shows by example that he respects womanhood by the way he treats his women is crucial.

I can tell my girls how great they are and how beautiful they are and they appreciate it but their is something about when Bret tells them that makes them beam.

I know Bret's involvement with my girls directly affects their confidence.I know I'm not the first mom to have things like this happen to their child, but for me this was the first time it's been personal. It has reminded me to be sure to be continuously teaching my children their worth.

I'm glad Ella was smart enough to know her worth.

I'm supposed to be the one teaching my children, but this is yet another example that I find my children teaching me.

{Kick off}

You know it's warmer around here when we consider hitting up the Drive-In. Last night was our official first visit of 2012.Nothing like a little family time at an almost empty Drive-In...I think Monday nights are the way to go instead of the weekend.Mailee still had a fever but once the medicine kicked in she was running around the parking lot and making her classic poses with her sister.I took my camera in the bathroom to document the soap. I have never encountered powdered soap anywhere else. My kids think it's quite the novelty and wash their hands at least three times every time we go.Mailee was very appreciative of the person who reminded her to "Love Life" by writing it on the bathroom stall door. She kept saying how nice that person was, which then led to talk about respecting property and vandalism.The Lorax was a cute movie and captured the attention of all three kids.I would say it was a successful first visit this year to the Drive-In. Can't wait to go again!

{No. 169}

1.Ive had my eye on this blouse for a while now. If only I could justify the price a bit more and the fact that it's 100% silk.

I had to learn the hard way that 100% silk blouses with little ones running around always ends in disastrous things happening to my blouse.

2.These bangels are awesome. I love the contrasting wood and plastic, plus the wide array of colors it comes makes it easy to wear with anything.

3.Just got these Khakis and love them. They are comfy and the bright blue makes me happy.

How do you feel about colored pants?

4.I love Salt Water sandals, but on me they always end up looking like I'm trying to be 15 again. These sandals look similar to the classic salt waters but won't make you look like you're trying to be young again.

5.Wear these with anything and look more pulled together.

6.A butter dish I'd love to own.

7.These Sperry wedges are awesome. The metallic color and the woven details are my favorite. Sperry's are always so comfortable too.

**Links to today's post can be found on my Pinterest boards*

{Sunday Photographs - 52}

I like skipping ahead one hour for daylight savings. It means that right now, at 6 p.m. it's still light out and we can resume our Sunday evening walks with our friends.

Tonight we will have to pass on the walk though. Mailee left church early with a high fever and the chills (don't be fooled by that smile of hers in the first picture. That's a result of good medicine kicking in).

There is a lot of sickness going on around town. Strep throat, a nasty 24 hour flu virus that requires laying down at the foot of the toilet for most of the 24 hours and other nasty stuff that inevitably will make its way to our home.

It looks like it has. Now we just wait to see how many people in the house get sick. Joy.

The girls decided to play "Jewelry Shop" and made Jonas be the evil Goblin King who came to purchase a ring for his evil lady friend. He's always the Goblin King...or a horse.

We enjoyed some Starburst jellybeans, making it a game to see which combination was the best.

Bret: green + purple = tastes like a lime ricki
Erica: purple + red = tastes like fruity heaven
Ella: red + orange = tastes like a delicious sunset
Mailee: pink + yellow = tastes like strawberry lemonade
Jonas: a handful in each hand = don't know what it tastes like because he rarely eats them, instead, he'd rather hold them in his little sweaty, chubby hands until I pry them from him.

I think we polished off a whole bag in about 20 minutes playing that "game". Yay us.

{Weekend}

Happy weekend!

We have plans to do some camping in the backyard and perhaps visit the beach this weekend.We love the beach.

{Bits}

1.Ella brought home a few fake spiders for Jonas. Everyone, including Bret, finds it quite fun to hide the stupid things in places I will see it.

I despise spiders.

This morning while dropping the kids off at school I reached for my sunglasses in the car and found this stupid thing!

It gets to me. Every. single. time.

Please bless they grow bored of this game soon. I'm over it.

2.It's been very windy here lately. On Sunday I was wearing a dress that forgot it was a dress and thought it was a kite instead. It flew right up with a gust of wind...we're talking completely up above my waist.

Ella and Mailee laughed hysterically. Jonas thought it was a parachute to hide under like the one he plays with at story time.

I laughed and was mortified right along with the dad and his son in the parking lot who witnessed me in all my glory.

It was the longest walk to the church door, trying to hold my dress down.

3.I think I found my favorite perfume. I have read rave reviews on this perfume and ordered some samples for myself. Every time I have worn it I have been complimented on it. I was afraid it would be too "sweet" for me but it's perfect.

I like the idea of only wearing one or two perfumes so my kids associate that smell with me. I have a smell associated with many people I love.

4.I am getting rid of a TON of my shoes. If you're a size 10 and local let me know if you want to come and look through the pile.

Some are pretty worn and some have been worn once.

My shoes are getting out of control.

5.My little brother is going to be a dad for the first time tomorrow.

I am excited to have another niece and so very excited for my brother and his wife. They will be amazing parents.

Gone are the days when they spoil our kids...sigh.

6.I turn 31 and all of a sudden I'm pulling like 10 gray hairs out. What?!

7.Have you ever had multiple large bruises on your body and can't for the life of you figure out how you got them?

Happens to me all the time.

You should see the few I have at the moment. They must've hurt...I think.

8.Jonas is going to be a "boob man". Whenever he needs comfort he runs to me and places his hand in my cleavage , rests his head against me and all is right with the world.

This makes me laugh and slightly uncomfortable.

9.Ella took $5 that she's saved since her birthday (last July) and spent it at the book fair. What better thing to spend that money on than books right?

When I asked her what books she got she proudly pulled out of her back pack two books. A Phineas and Ferb joke book and a book about Taylor Swift.

I have been quite entertained with the jokes and while listening to "Mean" by Taylor Swift this morning in the car Ella informed me the back story of what the song was about.