yep, I've lost my mind.

We are in San Diego right now...and I've gone a little crazy. I so badly want a tattoo and a pair of skinny jeans. So I bought the latter, a lot less permanent. Don't look quite as hot as her per say, but feel super hip...in all my 30 years.

she's bananas.

I'm not talking about Hadley Jane...but Jocelyn K. Brown...and her photography. I wish I could take all the credit for why I love these pictures so insanely much. But I can't. It's all because of her...her vision...her plaid shirt and brown cowboy boots...her amazing artistry, keen eye, and the fact that she just 'get's me' and my babe and exactly who we are.

she overflows my heart with love.

"The best work is done with the heart breaking, or overflowing."

~Mignon McLaughliin~

(Bare with me, I'm really into quotes right now).

just to prove her right.

So Joc just commented on the previous post how Hadley would never touch her unless she had a dozen cookies...she's right. But how fun is Jackie B. in this picture?! Hadley doesn't know what she's missing...yet.

Hads, Joc, & Bennett practicing Hadley's 'Santa Pose'.

For what it's worth, Hadley asks about Joc (pronounced Joth) nonstop...she still talks about the shirt Joc got paint on...and that was like a year ago. We talk about Rebel and how he bothers her, we talk about how she gives Bennett's lots of kisses, we talk about how Jocie gives her treats, and we talk about how Joc's TV does not have Handy Manny. See Joth, she's a total faker...she loves your guts.

carving pumpkins.

Couldn't even tell you the last time we carved a pumpkin, but figured we should probably start so Hadley has one less thing to bring up in therapy. So we headed to an impromptu little shindig at some of our favorite friends house and carved our hearts out. Thank goodness there was no contest, because we would have lost...badly. Shoot, no picture of the finished product but think 'old school pumpkin'...as in two triangle eyes, triangle nose, and big gaping grin (with no teeth). Very vanilla.

no friends need apply.

I don't know where this kid came from, but she is perfectly happy to play by herself all of the time. Maybe I'm just a sucky playmate, but whatever it is...GREAT!

*had to post two pictures or her darling little body...just couldn't decide.

bobby & betty crocker.

The other afternoon Ryan told Hads she could make cookies with him after she woke up from her nap. She was thrilled, as you could imagine, and raced right upstairs to get her 'sleep on'. Of course, I'm thinking, great...this will be a fun mess for ME to clean up (why can't I be more likable?). Then Ryan surprises me with his genius. He bought premade cookie dough. I know, all of you 'real' mom's are aghast...but for me, this was just the medicine for my OCD. And look how much fun they had...without a pinch of flour, sugar, or salt...all over my floors!

Things took a serious turn once she got her chef's gear on...no messing around.

belle ballerina.

Oh the nightly drama this candy has caused in our house. But totally worth it.

thank you hadley jane.

'Wherever there's a shadow, there's a light.'

~edgar linton~

no peeking.

These two goons LOVE a Zaide treasure hunt...like nobodies business.

music that moves

So I am a total music person. There is not a time in my life when I can't place a song with an exact time, feeling, and emotion. It drives Ryan up a wall, I'm always saying 'doesn't that totally remind you of summer of 6th grade?' and he gently reminds 'no, music reminds me of nothing'. But music gets me through....anything. With each songs I have smells, sights, and sounds of where I was and what that song did for me. Deep, I know. For example, she made me one of the cool kids in 3rd grade, this little ditty pretty much sums up my entire eighth grade year (I had the cassette single, you better recognize yo!), and this song brings me back to my first brokenheart by some dumb boy. I could go on and on throughout the 30 years of my life...but won't (you're lucky). I'll just share with you where I am right now. I'm all about this one, this one, and last but not least, this one...I've probably listened to these 3 songs 1,000 times over the past 3 weeks. Pretty soon, I'm sure I'll be back in the stage of this gem. And hopefully before long, I'll be back to liking this crap. Happy listening.

the depths.

He'll do anything to make her happy.

the gift of gab.

This girl always wants to yak on the phone. You have no idea how many times a day we 'call' Daddy at work, Zaide, Nana, Auntie Val, Auntie Lis, and China. Crossing my fingers she doesn't succumb to phone-phobia like me...so far, so good. We'll just see if she can order a pizza in 10 years.

cereal queen.

This gal is so much like her mama. She could eat cereal breakfast, lunch, and dinner...and sometimes does. And I don't skimp, she doesn't have to eat that Kashi dogfood cereal like most kids (sorry Lis), we are all about Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes, and Cinnamon Life...and ALWAYS namebrand, that knock-off crap in the bags, just shameful. However, there's still a lot of my mama in me because I never pay more than $3 for a box. Oh, and the drinking from the bowl...that's her dad. I'm too much of a lady to stoop that low.

a lesson in patience.

How do you torture a two year old? Set up cupcakes for her Daddy's birthday while he is out on a LONG run and remind her that she has to wait to eat them until Daddy gets home.