Apparently, I have two budding fashionestas

I was helping Vanessa with her hair this morning and asked her if she wanted to wear one of her favorite headbands - an adorable pink and blue plaid around-the-head kind with a bow on top. She looked at me and proceed to tell me, "Mom, that is plaid!"

"Ya, so? It is cute and the pink matches your outfit"

"But I am not wearing any plaid. It doesn't match."

"But you have solid pink leggings and a white and pink shirt on. How does it not match?"

"But I don't have any plaid on!"

"Where did you learn about plaid?"

"Katelyn."

She is 6, not 16!

Dear Fashion Designers,

I'm trying to stay on top of my ever-fast-growing children making sure that they are fully clothes in appropriate-sized outfits. Since they are constantly growing, I feel like I am always having to purchase new clothes. Furthermore, our seasons have changed, once again, and now I need to start to prepare for Summer, which means new shorts and shirts, skirts and dresses to buy. I appreciate a well-made item, especially one that is from a good piece of material that I know will handled even the toughest days outside in the dirt and handle the many washings it will have to go through.

However, here is where my struggle begins. I do not want to pay an arm-and-a-leg for ONE piece of clothing. But if I don't, I get shotty quality and material, not to mention inappropriate items. So I'm asking for good-quality, age-appropriate clothing. Demanding, I know. But really, is it too much to ask?

My child is 6 years old and therefore, should dress like a 6 year old. She is not 16 and in High School. She is in KINDERGARTEN. Therefore, I expect her to dress and look like one. She should not be wearing a barely-there swim suit or a t-shirt that says "I'm Hot" or have a need to be covered from head-to-toe in bling. Don't get me wrong, bling is nice, but there is an appropriate age and place for it. But she does not need to be wearing a mini or short-shorts or a tube-top. Please, I wouldn't even wear these things, why would you think I would let my daughter wear them! Where are they bright colors and cute designs? Where are the rainbows and hearts? What about dots or plaids or stripes? Why does everything have to have that already-wore-and-washed-a-million-times look or have a fringed hem?

I know I ask a lot, but I cannot believe that I am the only mom out there who feels like this. Look to higher-end lines for some ideas. Hannah Andersson, Boden or Gymboree are perfect examples...adorable age-appropriate fun outfits, full of color and fun patters and designs. Yes, I could shop these stores exclusively and I am starting to head that way, but replacing a child's wardrobe every few months gets costly. I'm sure there will be a time and a place for what you are producing for young children, but not now. Give them a few years and let them be kids. What's the rush to make them grow up so fast?

Sincerely,
A fashion-conscious and, apparently, conservative, Mom

If only every morning was like this...

My early riser baby bird decided that yesterday her alarm clock went off around 5 AM and so too must mine. Often she'll wake up before the others, and I'm not even sure how she functions on such little sleep she gets overall - naps are short and quality is hit-or-miss, but then again, she is the third and is thriving just fine. On these early mornings, she and I will play in her room having some quality Mommy-Daughter time. To me, it is pretty special that I get a few undivided minutes to be alone with her in a quiet peaceful space. After playing for awhile, Paige decided that it was time to take a little nap.

Since the other girls were still sleeping, I decided to use those few precious minutes to take a quick shower and get ready for the day. I'm in my bathroom when I hear the water running in the other bathroom in the house. I figured that one of the girls was up and we'd all be starting our day shortly. Then Katelyn walks into my room...completely dressed - jumper, socks AND shoes - and informs me that she'd also brushed her teeth, did her hair, made her bed and opened her blinds. SERIOUSLY? Without asking a million times, bribing, or yelling? What happened to my little girl who makes each school morning oh so much fun? And how did you get her to make her bed without asking? Tell me, oh please tell me! Because on Monday morning as she complained about what I made for breakfast, again, or how when I did her hair not to her liking I'm sure the neighbors heard her loud and clear too. This morning Katelyn surprised me again with a beautifully made bed followed by the unsurprising "why do we have to have that for breakfast" comments again.

Now only if this little alien could work some magic on the sassy six-year attitude we have going on...

Thankfully she only has two

A recent conversation I had with Vanessa as we were running late for an appointment...

Me: "Come on...hurry it up!"

Vanessa: "I am...I only have two legs!"

Sorry, this gerbal was on a break, but is now back

It is mind-blowing to me how fast this last year has gone. In many ways, it is rather scary to me how fast each day goes by and how quickly life changes. i just realized that my last post was in February...as in THREE months ago!! Yes, that was many, many, many days and weeks ago. And it's not like nothing has happened in our lives to share, in face just the opposite. But something inside of me was just stuck on auto-pilot on surviving each day and not really thriving. We've been extremely busy, but what family with young children and a busy husband and my own activities isn't? And yes, I could beat myself up for not having even posted the girls birthday letters from January or sharing all about our surprise trip for their birthdays or milestones Paige has reached. What good would that do for anyone, especially for me? So, here I sit on a Saturday night with three little girls asleep and Bill out visiting some old friends and had an urge to pick up the laptop and start writing.

Today marks the one year anniversary of our loss of Jennifer. ONE YEAR. In many ways, it just seems like yesterday, but then I'll stop for a moment and reflect back on all that has happened this last year - Paige was born and she is now almost one year old; Vanessa has turned into a social butterfly; Katelyn is almost a first grader. We miss Jen and remember her often, but also know that she is in a better place. Recently my mom was helping my brother go through some of Jen's clothing and since I am similar in size to what Jen was, I was given some of her clothing. In a jacket that I was given, I wore it out one night and put my hand into the pocket. Inside, I found a ticket stub to one of the last hockey games that she had gone too. Finding this stub made me pause and reflect for a moment, because I know how much she LOVED her hockey and that she wore this jacket to see her team play. And perhaps it was her way of telling me that she is still around and with us. I kept the stub and have it hanging on my fridge, so that I am reminded of her every time I see it.

I feel like I owe it to my girls to go back a few months and capture in print where I left off. I cannot put everything else on hold to get it done, but am going to make a valid attempt. I do this site, not so that I write about the color of the lint in my belly-button, which by the way is lint-free, but so that my girls have a journal of their lives and we can share it all with you, our family and friends. I've never been good at baby-books; I don't scrapbook; I struggle to stay current on e-mails; and it's a challenge to make time for phone calls. Here at least I can record some of the highs and lows of life and hopefully you'll laugh with us on this crazy journey.