Thank Heaven for Little Girls

I'll be back later today with a Spring Fashion Week post of my own. (To see all of the participants, go here).

In the mean time, I thought I'd display a bit of Spring *Toddler* Fashion.

Behold Baby's Paige's fancy schmancy Easter dress:

My goodness.  The bow.  The lacy socks.  The white mary janes. 

Thank you GOD for sending me a little girl. 

(Remind me I said this when she's a teenager).

I let Paige wear the dress for approximately 16 seconds today.  Just long enough to snap a quick picture to send to my Mother-in-Law (who was kind enough to send us the dress).

Notice she's standing on the steps.

Letting her anywhere near grass (no! not grass stains!) would have been a recipe for disaster.



Edited to add:

Ok, so I promised up there that I'd be back to post my own "fashion" today.

Except fashion didn't really make an appearance at my house today.

Internet, I'd like to introduce you to my yoga pants.  And my running shoes.  The ones with a HOLE in them.

Hey, I'm keepin' it real over here. 

We've been busy planting flowers in the back yard.

We've been productive.

But we're not very pretty.

Sorry.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Preparing for a garage sale.

Cleaning out closets and cabinets.  Oh, and in the process, cleaning out my head.

Ahhhh.  That feels nice.

During the purging process I ran across this military-inspired jacket.

Can't decide whether to keep it.

Is the fact that I can't decide enough?  Do all signs point to: Dump It?

Hmmm.

I think I'll wear it today and decide tonight. 

Either way, I'm keeping the shoes.

Camo loafers. 

Flats.

And we all know how I love the flats.

The Flat Truth

You know, this fashion thing is funny.

Taking pictures of myself each day is such a stark reminder that I'm "just a mom" now. 

And man oh man that feels GOOD.

For YEARS before I had children getting dressed in the morning was a royal pain.  My first job out of college was at a bank.  The dress code was VERY strict.  Requiring suits and heels and **gasp** PANTYHOSE.

My second job was at the corporate headquarters of Harold's.  Pantyhose weren't demanded, but fashion was definitely a priority.  For those of you who don't know (it's no longer in business) Harold's was a high-end clothing boutique.  At the height of the company's success, they had 55 stores in 22 states across the nation.

And, as you might imagine, dressing fashionably at Harold's was VERY important.

Dressing for work at Harold's required that I not only look good, but I also had to be in clothes from "this season" and "on trend".

Oh my GAWD it was exhausting.

And expensive.

My last job (my last PAID job) was for a large production homebuilder.  They didn't require me to be as fashionable, but I did have to dress up.  Everyday I wore pant suits and skirts and heels.

Oh man with the heels.  My feet always hurt.  Every single day they hurt.

So when I decided to stay home with my children (almost 6 years ago - wow!) I allowed myself the luxury of flats.  Oh my, the joy of a proper arch support.

And the pantyhose?  Heh. I think I might've skipped all the way to the trash can with those.  Does anyone even own pantyhose anymore.  

Nowadays my clothing choices revolve more around ease of movement and ease of care.

Can I bend over and pick up the baby without showing my crack in the back or the pronounced bulge in my tummy?

Can I wash this in the same load as play clothes?  Can I dry it in the dryer?

(Land's End skinny jeans fit the bill perfectly, btw)

And don't get me wrong, I like looking pretty.  And I like clothes. 

So long as I can wear them with flats.

I Don't Even Know Anymore

First of all, here's me today:

I can't decide whether I even LIKE this dress.  It's a tunic, so it doesn't really flatter my figure.  BUT, I love the colors, so there's that.

******************

So today started with me sitting in the bathroom watching David shave his face in preparation for work (Work!  He has a job!  When will I tire of saying this?) and I'm telling him about my inner turmoil.  My inner struggle.

My angst centered around baby Paige.  Specifically, the fact that today is the last day of mother's day out and I couldn't decide whether to send her.

So, I presented my case to Dave.

On the one hand, she's just NOW getting over the cold she got LAST time she attended MDO (it's been 4 weeks! FOUR!).  Do I send her back and risk her getting sick again? 

Plus, well, she HATES it.  Hates going.  Cries.  It's awful.

On the other hand, I'd love to have the morning alone with William.  And then a whole HOUR to myself after I drop him off at school.  And HOUR.  Oh my GAH, the possibilities!

Dave looked at me, rolled his eyes and said "take her, you ridiculous woman".

And so I did.  Because I always always always mind my husband.

(heh.)

And I think I'm glad I did.  I think so.

William elected to spend his Mommy & Will Day at the toy store.  In addition to money he's been saving, he received a card from Gramma and Grampa yesterday with five whole dollars inside.

Five bucks. Jackpot.

We walked hand in hand through the store and I almost wept at the sweetness of it.  Oh how I love to hold his hand.  He's already asked me to stop when we're in front of his friends, but I suppose in the toy store it's still safe to love your momma. 

When he spied a Lego track hoe his little 5 year old brain just exploded. 

We came home and built the new toy together.  The box listed the recommended age for this particular toy at 7 and up.  Heh.  Mommy's 35 and she stumbled a bit on the instructions.

I have no idea what that says about me.

Well, ok, some idea.

When I dropped William off at school I felt like a Good Mommy.  Like I'd done a good thing.

And then I went to get Paige.

Oh dear.

The teachers said she'd been crying on and off ALL DAY.  She didn't eat.  Didn't sleep.

And now I'm left wondering if I really did the right thing. 

Sheesh.  Motherhood.  Whatayagonnado?

It's Still Monday, Right?

Oh shoot!

Dang!

Durnit!

I was supposed to snap a picture of my "fashion" yesterday.

But I forgot.

Well, except for my pants.

And my decidedly UNpedicured feet.

(eew!)

My sweet friend Emery over at http://www.momsareforeveryone.com/ has invited me (and you!  join in!) to snap a picture of my outfit each day this week.

Except, well, I plum forgot yesterday.

In fact, I even forgot this morning.

Right up until this:

I was busy snapping a photo of baby Paige in her New Most Favorite Shirt in the History of Clothing.

And it hit me.

DANG!  I forgot that Spring Fashion Bloggie Thingy!

Sorry, Emery.

Here's me today.

(my whole body, not just my ugly feet)

I'm wearing nautical stripes with WHITE PANTS. 

White pants.  BEFORE Easter.

Somewhere my mother just broke out into a nasty case of hives.

And momma, don't look now, but I'm also wearing open-toe shoes.

BEFORE EASTER.

Pass the smelling salts.

Happy? Try ECSTATIC.

Internet?  Did you hear that sound this afternoon?  At 1:49pm?
Yeah, that was the sound of my head exploding.

Exploding!

Why?  Well, it all started yesterday when I wrote a nonsensical post about Jello and how my interactions with Jello traced back to a particular book I'm reading.  The Happiness Project.  By Gretchen Ruben

Now, behold the email I received at 1:49pm today:

Gretchen has left a new comment on your post "Noah Loved Jello, Didn't You Know?":


Hi Rita,


I'm thrilled to hear that my book resonated with you! I laughed out loud reading your post. It made me very HAPPY!


warmly,


Gretchen Rubin

The AUTHOR of the New York Times bestselling book The Happiness Project READ MY BLOG AND COMMENTED.

**SQUEEEEEEEEEE**

I'll just sit here a minute while you absorb that.

And do you know what's crazy?  Do you, Internet?  Do you?

I was already having a most excellent day.  I was so happy.  So content.  Bordering on blissful even!  And then THIS!  This comment.

Well, I'm over the moon.  That's all.  Just over the moon.  Gretchen Ruben?  If you're listening, you made my whole day.

Ok, let's talk about the rest of the day.  The things that happened before 1:49pm and all the things that happened after.

This morning the power went out, after which both of my children began just staring at me.  As if to say "how will you entertain us, woman?"

So, ten minutes later we were leaving the house for the zoo.

This was NOT my plan for today.  But, what the hell, right?  I'm reading a book all about happiness and HAVING FUN.  The zoo is fun, right?  (just nod your head).

The zoo.  Where I let my wee 1 year old touch live goats.

And goat poop.

And chickens.

And chicken poop. 

And sheep.

And... oh, you get the idea.

And after the zoo, I brought the children home, where Jesus saw fit to bless me with power once again.  I "cooked" lunch (thank you also, Jesus, for inventing the man who invented the microwave). 

When William went to school and Paige when down for a nap, do you want to know what I did with my precious 2 hours of child-free time?  Clean?  Organize?  Make important phone calls?

Nope.

See there?  That's green grass and a cool breeze and my Kindle.

Happiness. 

It would have been an incredible day, even IF my new bestie Gretchen hadn't written.

But I'm sure glad she did.

Noah Loved Jello, Didn't You Know?

Oh Internet.  Let's talk about my latest obsession.

Specifically,  'The Happiness Project'.  You remember this book?  The book I started reading last week?

Well, I'm halfway finished and I'm already in love.  With the author.  With her book.  With the whole idea of embarking on a project to make yourself happier.

What an idea!

One of the first steps in the book involves clearing clutter.  The author contends that clutter creeps up on our moods.  It makes us feel anxious.  It makes us unable to enjoy the lovliness of everyday moments.

Wow.  I totally agree.

So last week I cleaned out my closet.

Then I cleaned out Dave's closet.

Oh, and then William's closet.

And finally, I tackled the kitchen.  The kitchen proved to be daunting because of the Tupperware.  Oh my GAH this Tupperware!  The lids!  I can never find the right lid.  Ever!

The solution?  My friend suggested storing them with the lids ON.

DUH!  Why have I lived all my life without doing this? 

Sometimes I can be very slow.  Teetering on stoooopid even.

And today when I visited my mother, do you know what I did?  I cleaned out HER Tupperware cabinet.

I blame the book.  I have missionary-like zeal.

And I hit the absolute, ultimate, incredible JACKPOT in mom's cabinet.

Check THIS out, Internet:

I found an authentic 1960's Tupperware JELLO MOLD!

A JELLO MOLD, you all! 

First, I asked mom if NOAH had brought this particular item over on his ARK.  And then she gave me a spankin'.

And then I took it home with me.

And since we'd already scheduled a family dinner with neighbor Susan, it seemed only right that I prepare a dish. 

Check out my Jello Molding Skillz:

Yes.  That's right.  I ruined a Jello mold.  See how it's frozen on the sides and completely collapsed in the middle?

I. Am. Awesome.

Observe neighbor Susan upon receipt of the ruined Jello mold.

Her: "What in the name of everything holy is THAT?"

Me: "Why, it's an authentic 1960's ruined Jello mold"

Her: **crickets**

Would you believe no one wanted jello for dessert? 

Not even the kids.