Aunty Fash's Baby Shower!

Mimi LOVES holding Baby Noah Kozlowski... xox

She talked about it for hours after the party!

Isla Carlucci, watch out, you're next!

Go to Ashley's blog to see the rest!!!

Carlucci Courier

Catching Up...

Last weekend we went to a SUPERHERO birthday for THIS 5 year old!!! I don't want to steal Ash's thunder, but I had to show you some cute "Tink" pictures from the party

This is the superhero Mimi decided to be:

We decided to call her, "Super Girly" :)

Ash and Jeff set up an AMAZING party...seriously, a five year old's dream! The kids went through an obstacle course to earn their honorary superhero badges...

Mimi was the only girl. The superhero-clad boys jumped through the obstacle with brute force and intensity (like only little boys can). When it was Mimi's turn, she daintily walked through the ropes...

...and received her superhero medal

(she also "rescued" a small stuffed animal to win her badge. This is her proudly showing me)

little Tink...in a boys' world... :)

She met Cat Woman

(and wasn't so sure about all of that black leather...)

There's not much more in the world that Mimi loves more than Gent, so I know she had fun celebrating his birthday!!!! Go to Ash's blog for all of her cute pics soon!!!!

Pizza Makin'

Gentry came over (much to Mimi's DELIGHT!) and the kiddos made their own homemade pizzas!

(picture proof of how much Mimi ADORES Gent...this is how she looks most of the time that she's with him!)

Making your own pizza is no laughing matter.

(this must've been Gent's reaction when I told him he could finally eat after I made him pose for a million pictures.. :)

(Mimi couldn't take her eyes off her pizza!)

(Gent must've eaten at lightning speed...I didn't even get to snap a picture!)

They must've been good pizzas,

because this is all that was left!

SUCCESS :)

Things Mimi Says

Watching a child grow up has to be the most rewarding thing. With each hiccup of a new stage; doubting everything you knew or thought before, comes the reward of seeing them take steps for the first time, or start having adult-like conversations with you for the first time.

That's what Mimi's been doing lately. Yesterday, after we had been apart for a small time (I went to BSF, after a day at MOPS...I'm turning into a real life "church lady!"), from the backseat Mimi said, "What's your day Mommy?"

It took me a second to realize that she was asking me about my day. It was the sweetest thing. Lately, as I pick her up she randomly asks, "How you doin' Mommy?" and her voice goes up in a questioning tone, always ending with "mommy." I also overheard her asking her little kindergarten friend as I was walking up the stairs..."How was school, Ruby?"

Obviously, she's repeating what she hears me say, but she parrots it with such honest, sincere intention that it just melts me. I really am seeing more and more these days how much she says what we say. I'm filled with the great sense of responsibility that Mimi will treat other people and herself the way that we do. I'm more grateful than ever to be plugging back into the church family to make sure that we're giving her the kind of examples that we've always hoped she'd have.

"LIKE" has also become a buzz word in our home. She's always making comparisons between things...it's just another "big kid" thing that she's been doing (and as a literacy teacher, we call this "making connections"...so of course, I'm proud :) When she watches Clifford on PBS, the intro song talks about Clifford getting bigger, and she always says, "like Mimi!" Or when she's mad that she's stuck in her carseat she says, "I'm stuck like Winnie the Pooh!"

(here are also some pictures from our latest family zoo day) :)

Learning About God

Mimi has moved up into the TWO YEAR OLDS room at church!!!! It's so adorable. No more baby toys and crawling kids. Now it's a classroom with tables and chairs and coloring!!! It's so perfect because all of her friends seem to be starting kindergarten this year; she desperately wants to go too! Now this feels like her own little "school".

The first day that Ben went and got her, she had the picture of the faces in her hand that she had colored. It was such a big moment...I couldn't believe that she was in a little classroom doing an "assignment." I love that little picture.

Then, this week when I went to go get her she showed me this other picture and my eyes welled up with tears! THEN, her teacher had her recite what she had learned that day..."Mimi, who made your ears?" To which she replied, "God." So super sweet. I love having a two year so much. She is so big. xoxo

Also, this is a fun thing that we've gotten to look at over the past weekend:

Here's a closer look:

It's my dad's paint ladder!!! He's painting the house next door! We love having him close. It feels so sweet and homey! After we come home from running errands, we shout hello to him up on the neighbor's roof and he comes in for coffee warm-ups and some time watching Mimi jump on her trampoline. It's the best.

Why Bother?

I am having a small crisis.

I'm talking myself down from it by reminding myself that someday what I'm worrying about won't matter; someday when Mimi is grown and out of the house, I will be longing for this problem that is plaguing me...

but that's not really helping.

What's getting me down is our unbelievably messy house. You would think that because I'm home full time now I'd have more time to clean. But what negates that idea is the fact that we're IN the house more as well, with more opportunities to create messes and clutter. These pictures are just small examples, from literally one section of our house. I really get discouraged because I don't want to live in filth. I want to feel calm and happy in our home. So I use nap time to clean (it's the only time that I feel I can make headway) but then feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle. I really do feel like, "why bother? It's just going to get dirty in three seconds anyways!"

I know that what I'm talking about is what moms everywhere deal with every day, so I'm hoping for some sage advice from some other moms out there...PLEEAAASE! I'm desperate (and close to a breakdown ;)

(it really does help to take pictures of it all though, especially these ones with the handprints on the mirror-I mean seriously. Once you look at those little hands, how can you be that mad? )

This is more just a call for help to see how other moms deal. I'm sure the answer is a balance and realistic expectations...

and a maid.

(p.s. the shamwow over the bathtub is to clean up the pee waterfall that just attacked the carpet earlier...twice. Amazing little things.)

Here's our culprit. She is pretty cute...

xoxo

This is Mimi and Gent having an afternoon popcicle together. She thinks that he is the BEE'S KNEES! ;)

Ah, blogging therapy. I think that I feel better already.