Tag Archives: life

fashion, mommyhood, music, random thoughts

Currently

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Hey, y’all! I hope you had a great weekend – I know I did! My mom visited all week last week while Hubby worked in the studio (super long hours). Except for his birthday. We totally partied and saw Third Eye Blind on his birthday! Then this weekend was great: Dinner at our favorite restaurant on Friday, relaxing day hanging out and catching up on Saturday, and then our church’s centennial celebration on Sunday morning! We’ve been busy, but all with good things 🙂 Anyway, here’s a little more about what we’ve been up to currently…

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Wearing || Piko shirts! They are SUPER comfortable, and I buy the tunic-length ones and wear them with leggings. It’s a great fall item for your closet. If you’re local to me, I get them at our Ivy & Leo (not sure if other Ivy & Leo stores stock them) or online at Simply Dixie Boutique. I’ve gotten them from both places, reasonably priced, as well!


Interesting picture for me to choose just to show you my shirt, I know, but it shows the flowy nature of the fabric! (Pardon the tech pack on my waist… Not a pretty growth to have on your butt, ha!)

Celebrating || 100 years of Reynolda Church! We have 4 different Sunday morning worship services, in three different rooms, on two different campuses every Sunday morning. So for our centennial celebration,  we chose the biggest campus and asked that on this one Sunday, everyone meet together there at the same time for a huge service. Former pastors and members from all over came bearing stories of how Reynolda has helped make them who they are, and worship leaders from all venues were on stage together. It was a really wonderful day.

Watching the sermon from the balcony (thanks to Elaine for this picture!)
EK asked to take a selfie during band practice and Hubby totally photobombed.

Going || out downtown for Hubby’s birthday! We celebrated in two nights… first on Wednesday (his actual birthday) and again on Friday. On Wednesday night we had dinner and drinks with some family and friends, and then went to see Third Eye Blind (they are old but totally still fun). Friday we went out with our friends/neighbors to Honey Pot – our favorite local restaurant, where Hubby just happens to be long-time buddies with the chef.
Out for dinner at Finnigan’s Wake on Wednesday…

Hubby and EK being fabulously photobombed by his brother!
Getting a little blurry love from J.
Lala getting some love from EK… who is constantly on the move.

After the show…IMG_3579

Dinner on Friday…IMG_3642

Loving || time spent with my mom this week. I really appreciate that she can just hop up here for a week whenever we need her! The kids love having her around, too!

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Two peas in a pod.
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Who doesn’t want to be in costume?

Well, that’s about all of my crazy week I can remember. What’s up with you currently?

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus, random thoughts, women

Don’t Forget the Sweet Moments

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This post also appeared on My Big Jesus!

 Have you ever had one of those moments where your heart is so full that you think it might explode? One of those moments when you first realize you’re sure about the one you love? One of those moments that your children are playing nicely together and it makes you want to have another? One of those moments where everything in your life is just so, and you think, “All right, I’ve made it; it’s perfect.” Well I had one of those moments the other day.

My mom was in town for a visit, and she was rolling around on the floor playing with my oldest two kids, each dressed up in costumes (a princess and Mr. Incredible, of course). I had a sleeping two month old on my chest, and I was just gazing at my family, loving everything that was happening. I was looking at my little brood, and thinking, oh my gosh this is a lot, but I love it. My heart and my uterus were teaming up and battling against my mind on the grounds that we should have another. Obviously, I’m not thinking about that yet. (Cue my husband running for cover.) However, my heart was so full of love for the three little tinies I had helped create, playing so happily with my mom, making silly noises, and giggling till their hearts content. As Gary Chapman might say, this afternoon “filled up my love tank”.

I often get caught up in how difficult my days can be. Instead of appreciating things like giggles or silly mispronunciations, I can be bogged down by the messes or the shouts of “No!” when I ask someone to do something. I can feel like all I heard during the day were cries, even though that really isn’t true. I can look around my house, and think that nothing was accomplished. My sink is full of dishes. My sofa is full of laundry waiting to be folded. My bed isn’t made. My toilets have a ring in the bowl. But I should remember that moment of my children rolling on the floor giggling with my mom, and the feeling of a baby sleeping soundly on my chest. Life won’t always be easy; no one has ever argued that. But it won’t always be tough, either. Remembering each positive moment, committing to memory the sweet times and kind words, that will help the tough times seem not so bad.

faith, food, holidays, home, mommyhood, music, random thoughts, women

Hubby Is 30!

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In honor of my amazing, talented, hilarious, handsome, wonderful, giving, loving Hubby’s dirty thirtieth birthday, I’d like to show this little collection of photos…

Before this happened…

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There were these two kids, on the night they met, at a Halloween party (right after the church service they played together)…

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You know, just trying to make scary faces with the cute guy you just met.

They were together a lot after that…

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This is our “college formal” face.

And I mean a lot…

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Our “middle school dance” date. He put a lot of work into that one!

Until one day, he proposed for real…

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This remains the only picture of us from that night. And we’re still making that stupid “college formal” face.

Practiced getting married…

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Post rehearsal dinner shenanigans.

And really did it…

This is totally characteristic of our relationship.
This is totally characteristic of our relationship.

Then we bought a house…

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We bought our house on the way to the airport to go to Italy. Obviously.

Shaved his head for children’s cancer…

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He’s done it several times, but this was the year he also raised $200 for his trashy mustache.

Went to this bar, our favorite bar, for 90 days in a row… three times…

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Finnigan’s Wake will always be home base for us.

And then we got pregnant and had this sweet gal…

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All of a sudden… parents!

I watched him become the most amazing dad…

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They’re still besties.

And then we did that a time or two more…

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I’m a little bit pregnant with J in this one…
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And I’m a LOT pregnant with him here.
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And here I’m a couple weeks away from having D!

With a few breaks for being awesome in between…

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Singing in his wedding band was still one of the most fun nights of my life!
Just a little family partying.
Just a little family partying.

All in all, I wouldn’t do life any differently or with anyone else. Hubby’s my rock. He’s my personal chef, my confidant, my treasured friend, my only lover, my companion, my “I need to tag out!” or “I can’t do this alone!” rescuer. He is my everything, and I can’t wait to spend the next thirty years with him. 30 looks good on you, babe. Happy birthday.

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday, y’all! We had a very busy and fun weekend followed closely by a busy Monday, so I’m feeling good about this post actually happening before noon!! I feel like there are so many more hilarious things that happened – I gotta get better at writing them down right away! Anyway, here’s what I’ve got!

 J, riding on a friend’s John Deere toy, in a very country accent: Hey, mama! How you?!

EK: Halloleen is coming up! Halloleen is coming up!
(She’s obsessed.)

Picking the kids up from preschool…
EK: That church was soooo fun!
Hubby: What was so fun?
EK: Playdoh! Do we have Playdoh at home?
Hubby: Nope.
(Mommy really doesn’t like Playdoh. That’s why it’s so much fun at school.)

Me, to a friend: I like your pants!
EK: Your pants have polka dots on them!
Me: That was almost a compliment.

Leaving for school…
EK: Bye bye, Dad!
J: Bye dad!
EK: I love you!
J: Wuv woo!
EK: See you after school!
J: See school!

Second recent obsession: Cindereller. And yes, that’s how she says it.

The train obsession continues with J…
J: I wan’ ride choo-choo train!
Me: That was a great sentence!

J and I were wrestling on the floor, and he hit his head (lightly, okay!) on the bed…
J: Ouch! I bonk head! I okay.

EK told her nursery caretaker at church on Sunday that she was “pumping”. Apparently she pulled her dress down to show her how. Yikes.

J: Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle dah! Hah bah bah bah bah bah dah! (Perfectly on pitch, by the way.)

EK: Night mom. See you when the sun comes up. (This is my favorite way she says goodnight.)

On EK’s birthday this last April, my friend Emily came for the weekend, and attended the birthday party in a gown, with gloves and a tiara (it was a princess party of course). EK has been talking about the princess who came to her birthday party and “put on her makeup in my bathroom” ever since. Emily visited with us again this past weekend, and EK was confused and then thrilled to find that Emily was the very same princess. It made for some colorful conversations that I wish I had recorded! Suffice it to say that we had a great weekend!

Another bedtime saying…
EK: Can you leave my door open a little bit?
Me: Sure, babe. Good night!
EK: Hey, like this much? (Shows me with her hands.)
Me: Yes… How’s this?
EK: That’s good. (Rolls over. Conversation over.)

Train obsession continues with EK…
EK: Mom, can you sing the song about the train?
Me: (Unsure what she is talking about) What song?
EK: The one about the train!
Me: (Not wanting to listen to the theme to Chuggington or Thomas) Okay, let me download them.


Now that it’s a couple days later, she literally does the locomotion and loves it. Mom win. (PS: I know you’re totally laughing about the songs listed underneath the “train songs”.)

On the way to school…
EK: Mommy, do you know the way downtown?
Me: Sure she does!
EK: Annie doesn’t know the way.
Me: I’m sure she does, babe.
EK: No. Annie doesn’t know the way downtown.

What are your kids saying and doing nowadays? Any hilarious misnomers or mispronunciations? Those are my favorite. Have a great week!

fashion, food, food, home, mommyhood, random thoughts, women

Currently 

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Happy Monday, all! I am SO ON TIME with this week’s Currently that I’m surprised by myself. Anyway, I’m linking up like I do every week with Becky at Choose Happy, and also, because it’s the first week in October, I’m linking (on Wednesday) with Jenna at Gold & Bloom and Anne in Residence.

Eating || pumpkin muffins and lattes! I’ve been experimenting with recipes for both, typically of the gluten and dairy free variety. When I find my favorite I will post it!  Another think I’ve been totally crushing on are the toasted graham lattes at Starbucks. YUM. As you might recall, I’ve got a certain graham cracker obsession right now, and these fit the bill nicely.

Exploring || our lovely new weather and according wardrobes. It’s that time of year when I see what I need to get for the kids and Hubby and me. We are hard on stuff, and the kids are growing so fast!! I found a few things at Old Navy last week (among them are this chambray shirt and this shift dress), and we’ve ordered some things for Hubby. J miraculously fits in some of his stuff from last year, so I’m hoping we won’t spend too much for what we need for the cold.

Wearing || boots and scarves… And raincoats. The hurricane is blessedly far enough from us that all we’re getting is lots of rain and some wind. We are so thankful to not be flooded or destroyed. But this week we see the sun, and are thankful for that, too. EK has been asking when the sun would come out!

my front yard around midday last week.

Admiring || my Hubby this week. He is working on a recording project in the studio, and he’ll be working 12+ hour days all week, including his birthday on Wednesday. He is working hard and missing us, I know, but I’m proud of him for being excited about and dedicated to his work. He’s the best husband and dad I know.

Collecting || the “toy crumbs” from all over the house. Pieces of puzzles, pretend food/dishes, and other miscellaneous toys litter the floor in almost every room, and this week my goal is to clean up and organize at least a little bit on the days the kids are in school. Hopefully it’ll look a little better by Thursday afternoon than it does right now!

Anticipating || my church’s centennial celebration on Sunday! All 5 worship services that happen on Sunday mornings are combining for one mega service this weekend, and all the worship bands are combining to make it a huge deal. I am SO EXCITED to have this experience! If you are anywhere near central NC, check out Reynolda Church’s centennial celebration. We would LOVE to see you there!

Well, that’s a little bit about what’s going on in my life this week! What about you? What are you up to currently?

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say 

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Happy Tuesday, everyone! The weather is cooling off (and raining all the time – yuck) so fall is finally here! I wore my boots for the first time on Sunday, and man it felt good! We are just gearing up to get busy around here, with school in full swing, fall activities everywhere, and the holidays just around the corner – I know, I know… already?! Anyway, here are some fun things I’ve heard this past week. Enjoy!

The Omelette Saga…
Hubby, to me: Would you like an omelette?
Me: That sounds great!
Ek: I wouldn’t like a omeleck, please. (Then repeat that sentence 30 times.)
Hubby: Okay. We get it. No omelette.
(Hubby fixes omelettes; they look amazing. EK starts crying.)
Hubby: What’s wrong?
EK, crying: I waaaant aaaaa ooooomeleeeeeck!
Hubby: Why would you tell me you didn’t want one about 30 times then?!
EK, still crying: Oooooomeleeeeeeck pleeeeeeease!!!!!
(The dearest Hubby in the world then fixes her an omelette. The next 20 minutes are consumed with conversations about the omelette, how it’s made, complete with hand motions, what’s in hers, and the fact that it is indeed omelette and not omeleck.)

On weather…
EK: It’s so windy outside!
Hubby: Isn’t it a beautiful day?
EK: No, it’s a fancy day, silly!

Me: What would you like for lunch?
EK: Chicken nucksecks. (Nuggets, of course.)

J spilled some water on the floor while washing his hands, and pointing to it, said, “Mess! I mess!” He gets it, you guys.

My in-laws recently had to put down their dog, and when EK asked Annie where Molle (the dog) was, Annie said that she is with Jesus now. EK has been repeating an elaborate story about how Molle went to Jesus and asked to go live with him, and Jesus said, “Yes!” and Molle said, “Yippee!” It’s been odd but endearing.

At lunch…
Hubby: J, are you all done or do you want some more?
J: I want some more! (About as articulately as I’ve ever heard him say anything.)
Hubby: Well, you couldn’t have put that any more clearly.

Nicknames…
J, calling up the stairs: Hey, babe! Babe!

As I was putting J to bed the other night, he said this: “Mama? I wan’ El Kate.” It totally melted my heart.

Snuggling on Saturday morning on our bed, with both the big kids…
J, climbing on top of everyone: Yay!
EK: Agh! I can’t make this happen!

Overheard from another room…
EK, doing a puzzle with Annie: I’m not a baby ANY. MORE.

And you might have seen a little bit about this on my Instagram… The highlight of EK’s week was a trip to the mall, because we rode the little train. If you recall her train obsession, you know it was a big moment, so obviously I took a bunch of pictures.

  

That face makes me want to go to the mall every day!

So what are your kids doing and saying lately? I love hearing what other kids say!

books, food, food, home, mommyhood, random thoughts, siblings, Uncategorized

Currently

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Folks, I’m feeling pretty silly that I missed a week of Currently. So hopefully this one will be stellar enough to make up for it! Here’s a bit about what’s been going on since my last Currently. I’m linking up like always with Becky at Choose Happy!!

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Reading || About That Fling by Tawna Fenske. It popped up on an ad on my Kindle, it was on sale, and it sounded like a good beach-type read. It was! There was nothing really incredible about it, but it’s a great romance with a love triangle and a little akwardness to round it all out, haha. It was fairly easy to read and I plowed right through it, which is my favorite thing about a book I’m really enjoying. I just (finally) downloaded The Girl on the Train so I’m excited to start it! 

 Excited || for fall TV to start back! I’m always really glad to start back up with the shows that stop for the summer – even though thank goodness for Netflix to get me through! I’ll be watching Modern Family, New Girl, Grimm, and Once Upon a Time. Anything else I should add to my queue?

Enjoying || spending time with my big kids. Now that they’re both in school a couple/few days a week (9-noon) and the fact that lunch and naps take up most of the afternoon, I’m trying to spend more intentional time with them. They’re also thriving now that they’ve got some time away from each other. There have been some sweet moments (organic moments, even!) of togetherness in the past couple of weeks, and I love it. I’ve also added a cute thing to EK’s bedtime routine. I ask her what her favorite part of the day was, and I share mine, and we talk about them. Sometimes she even extends the conversation to something she didn’t like, and we can talk about that, too. I don’t like to talk about the negative part too much, but sometimes it opens up good conversation. It’s been really nice to get to know each other better in this way. 

   
Cleaning || up after my son all day every day. Y’all, J is like a tasmanian devil, a whirling dervish… he wrecks SO MUCH without really even trying. In one day, he’d locked himself into two rooms (and our door locks don’t unlock easily) so we took the doorknobs off the two rooms, and behind one of the doors, he was pouring my (favorite) dark grey nail polish on the floor! I’d like to say I didn’t get mad, but I did. I totally checked out; I handed Hubby the nail polish remover and told him to leave as much of the floor finish as he could. It doesn’t look too bad, but I was just surprised J could be so destructive in a matter of two minutes – what a huge parenting fail. I don’t know how to do a better job teaching him what not to touch, where not to go, what things to be careful with. I know it’s just “a boy thing” but I need him to calm it down. Phew!

Baking || pumpkin muffins! I’m going to do two recipes… this one from Wellness Mama and this one from the Barefoot Cook. Hopefully they turn out well! Hooray for triple naps and baking!

What are you up to currently? Have any pumpkin recipes you love? Anything else fall-related you’re doing?

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus

I Said Yes

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This post also appeared on My Big Jesus!

As the mom to young kids, I say no a lot. I say no to everything from throwing food on the floor and drawing on the wall to hitting siblings and screaming in restaurants. I feel like I only have negatory words in my vocabulary; let’s not do that, don’t touch those, and no, thank you.

So this morning, when I went out with my daughter, I decided I would say yes as much as I could. Could we have smoothies for breakfast? Yes! While we are shopping in Old Navy, could she choose a new dress. Yes! Could she wear it to church tomorrow? Yes! Could she ride the choo-choo? Yes!

Just a few simple yeses went a long way. Most of them were ones I would’ve said yes to anyway. We needed to have breakfast, so why not smoothies? I knew we were going to look for a couple of fall dresses for her at Old Navy, so when she chose her favorite, of course I said yes. And her favorite yes of the day was easily the train ride.  

 What looked to me like a silly little “train” driven by a bored-looking fellow was a wonderful surprise to my three year old, train-obsessed daughter. We rarely go to the mall (who has time to drag kids through the mall on a regular basis?!) so I didn’t even know train riding was a possibility. We were both surprised, and while $3 a piece to ride a thing made to look like a train for a 4 minute trip around a quarter of the mall seemed like a waste, it made my daughter’s day. She was so ecstatic about being on a train that she wanted our picture taken, her picture taken, and she still has the tickets the conductor gave us in her room. 

 It felt incredible to be able to say yes. I often get weary of not letting my kids have the answer they want. It’s not much fun to say no all the time, because I really do want them to do and have everything. It’s even worse saying no when they’re too young to understand that I have their best interest in mind. So today, saying yes felt especially good, both to me and to EK.

When we are asking the Father for something, really, really hoping for it, but it isn’t what He has for us, we don’t like getting no as the answer. But He wants to give us a thousand yeses, wonderful blessings better than whatever we could think to ask for. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need better than we can understand, and so he tells us no sometimes. He gives us a no to make way for the yes.

books, random thoughts

Holding On To Childhood

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(If for some reason you have missed out on the glory that is the Harry Potter series, there are spoilers below, so beware!)

Nerd alert: I am the world’s biggest Harry Potter fan.  

 Alright, maybe not the biggest. But I’m definitely one of them. I’ve read every single book at least ten times, and watched the movies countless more. I take all the Buzzfeed quizzes, I follow J. K. Rowling on Twitter, and y’all, I have a (very active) Pottermore account. I was sorted into Hufflepuff, in case you wondered, and I’ve totally gained respect for the badgers. When the final movie came out, my friend Lauren, Hubby and I planned a party before the midnight premiere. We invited all our (nerdy) friends, decorated my house in Gryffindor colors, and made a feast worthy of Christmas in the Great Hall, complete with fondant golden snitches and butterbeer.  

These snitches took HOURS.
 So imagine my delight when I hear that our local children’s museum’s annual fundraiser this year has a theme of my favorite childhood (life?) book series. I immediately went about recruiting friends, planning for a babysitter, and debating whether I would go with the suggested “spellbinding cocktail” attire or go straight for the dress robes. The chance to attend a real-life event based on the fantasy world in which I felt I could belong (I mean, did my Hogwarts letter get lost?!) was more exciting than I probably should admit. 

Naturally the evening was fabulous, with lots of friends, magic wands, House banners, firewhisky, and floating candles from the Great Hall. It was as if my childhood dream had come true. You see, I’ve grown up with Harry. I attended midnight book releases and movie premieres. I waited months (almost every time) for the next installment of the story, felt the exhilaration of nail-biting Quidditch matches, thrill of new love, and sadness of losing friends. I trembled in the graveyard when Cedric was killed and Voldemort came back. I wept uncontrollably  when Dumbledore died. I high-fived the nearest person when I read that Ron and Hermione finally got together. These characters feel like my friends. 

It may be a little ridiculous, but I think part of the reason I still love it all so much (aside from how obviously entertaining and endearing it is) may be that I’m hanging on to my childhood. I’m almost 30, I have three kids, I’ve been married for 6 years, and all of those things are so… adultish. But this piece of literature, this familiar world and enveloping story are all a huge part of my childhood, big enough to make me feel like I’m Harry’s age again whenever I lose myself in it. My excitement hasn’t faded with my knowledge of the ending. 

Any other HP fans? Or maybe you have another book or movie that you connect with your childhood? Tell me about it – I want to hear!

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday, y’all! We have a nice, slow week we’re settling into, and I couldn’t be happier. Here are a few funnies from the past week to brighten your Tuesday!

 
EK, looking at Hubby holding D: Aw! Wook at his small toes! Aw! Wook at that! He’s putting his foot on your weg! AWW! WOOK! He is SO CUTE!

I have several friends that work at the college I went to, one of them being my college roommate Anne, who I sometimes pick up and take to lunch. One day, EK was with me and we drove to campus to see another friend. As we pulled onto campus, she said, “Mom! Is this where Anne lives?!” When I told Anne about it later, she said she certainly was there more than anywhere else!

EK: What time is it?
Hubby: 7:53
EK: Woah! Cool!

Annie: EK, your shoes are on the wrong feet.
EK: It’s okay. It doesn’t manners.

J drops his fork: Uh oh! Fook!
Me: Careful, there…

We have a book called “Build a Burrito” and it’s a counting book in English and Spanish. EK always insists on trying to say the Spanish before I do, and also says “turrito” instead of burrito.

EK, showing her folded slice of pizza to Hubby: Daddy! When you was a little boy you made your pizza a taco like this!

(I’m realizing in this moment that we’re obsessed with tacos.)
EK: I want a soft taco! A soft one!
Lauren: What do you want inside your taco?
EK: M&Ms!
Lauren: Girl after my own heart!

Hubby goes to wake EK up for church, and she pulls the covers over her head.
EK: Dad! Leave me alone!
Hubby: Are you 16?!

Halloween.
EK: Daddy, what are you gonna be for Halloleen?
Hubby: A toothbrush!
EK: No. I’m gonna be Mulan and you be Mushu.
(EK has vacillated on costume ideas from Doc McStuffins to Mulan and back.)

Before EK goes to bed, I ask her what her favorite part of the day was. This week, this was one of her answers: “Wearing a princess dress and dancing with my brother Joe.” Melting a mama’s heart. 

Picking up EK from school, with D in the car: Aww! I really missed you, little Davis!

I thought we’d end with a sweet one! How is your week? What are your kids saying?