Made My Day

Last week we had Leighton's 18 month pictures and some family pictures taken (a little late, but weather and illness forced some rescheduling). I probably haven't said it enough, how much we love our Photographer, but we are kind of obsessed with her. Her style, attitude, talent, and prices are all phenomenal.

We wanted to do an outdoor photo shoot this time since all of our previous shoots have been in studio, which we love, but wanted a change, especially since it has been so gorgeous outside lately. We went out to a beautiful property in Pike Road (ok, are there properties out there that aren't beautiful?) and Stacy worked her magic, again.

She is always up for my ideas, which I love her for. I love finding cute picture ideas online and on Pinterest and then tweaking them to make them more my own. I have been a "tweaker" for a long time. Seriously, I can't help myself. I tweak everything, especially recipes, to make them a little more "me." This is why I am terrible at baking because instructions usually have to be followed precisely. I am not big on following all the rules, which has led to some serious baking disasters. Which is another blog post for another day.

Anyway, the photo session was a success (minus the 1,000 mosquito bites). No, I haven't seen the pictures yet, but that doesn't matter. I have complete confidence that they will be fabulous as usual (ok, it helps when you have a beautiful daughter and handsome hubby like it do.) As always, when we get the pictures they will go up here and on Facebook.

If I thought I couldn't adore Stacy anymore, I was wrong. Yesterday, she wrote this little gem on my Facebook wall that totally made.my.day: "Sybil, I was just looking at your blog again and wanted to say how much I love it. And not just due to the sweet things you say about the pics or the link you so nicely included but I love how you put it all together and your talent for putting things in to words! Can't wait to see our new pics posted."

Wow. I can't tell you how much that made my day, Stacy. Sometimes I think the only people that read this blog are my parents and a select few friends that I know keep up with it. I once, pretty recently, thought about quitting. Just shutting it down and not writing anymore. For many various and sundry reasons. Jeremy talked some sense in to me and reminded me that I love to write, I am good at it (thanks, baby) and that I write this blog for our family and no one else. At the end of each year I take that year's blog posts and turn them in to a book. Books, I hope that Leighton will really treasure one day. It's so much more detailed than a baby book (and we all know how much I looove details). However, even though I write this just for us, it's nice to know that other people enjoy reading  it as well.

My mother told me all of the time growing up to compliment someone daily (at least) and I have always tried to do that. Today, I challenge you to do the same. Go make someone's day, the same way Stacy made mine!

And because I can never resist re-posting an adoption read, especially from my favorite blogger: here ya go.

Mother's Day Out

    On Wednesday, September 5th, our precious girl officially turned 19 months and started going to Mother's Day Out (MDO). We decided that even though we will likely be moving sooner rather than later (we have a couple thats super interested in our precious house and they are trying to get all their ducks in a row to be approved for a loan, so prayer warriors, get to praying. Please and thank you) that it was time for our child to have some socialization with other children aside from nursery on Sunday's, occasional play dates, and MOPS once a month. We also decided mommy needed a break every once in a while to get things accomplished without a toddler hanging on to me every second. So, we called to see if we could get her in, right under the wire, to a MDO program we had heard nothing but excellent things about. They had 2 spots left in her age group. Yay! And, the director told me every bit of detailed information right over the phone and was so darn nice. So, we filled out the forms and wrote the checks and Leighton was all ready to start MDO 2 days a week for around 4 hours a day at Trinity. 

Day 1

Doesn't she look adorable? Yes, I had a smocked apple dress on hand just in case we decided to do this one day. And apple Livie and Luca  shoes (I am obsessed with Livie and Luca shoes). Totally normal, right? Ok, ok my name is Sybil and I am a smockoholic. My Mother in Law and Mother feed my addiction. Jeremy doesn't mind it because his kid wears cute clothes and we pay next to nothing for them. So, my addiction will rage on until the day my daughter says the words that will be like a dagger to my heart, "mommy, I don't want to wear those baby dresses anymore." Let's just cross our fingers and hope that never happens and we just outgrow them naturally, a long long time from now. Moving on. 

So, I had her all dressed up and ready to go. And a delicious and nutritious lunch packed. And we showed up early for the first day to start off on the right foot. And I attempted to take an "outside of the school" pic when the meltdown began. See for yourself :

Well, I took her to her class and she cried her little eyes out, but she always does that for nursery on Sunday and when we pick her up they say  "she was an angel" so I figured she'd be just fine, it was only a little bit hard to leave her. I then began my day of getting things accomplished sans my mini-me. First item of business, a book bag and lunch box. Very essential for MDO. Since we were late to the party, all I had was her diaper bag and nursery bag, and those just won't do, you know. So, I drove to one of my favorite little stores that carries the book bags with matching lunch boxes that all of the toddlers have to have, you know, and I bought them. Don't you just love seersucker? Me too. And, don't worry, I checked with the fashion police and they say seersucker book bags and lunch boxes after labor day are totally fine! Whew. Oh, and don't worry, my dear friend is adding a monogram as we speak, err, type. 

Next, I went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients to a delicious looking recipe I found on Pinterest and the ingredients to my hubby's favorite dish that his mom made growing up that I had never attempted before. I was very nervous. And I couldn't find the right apples. So I picked up the wrong ones and hoped it would still turn out. Then, I ran by Target and got the supplies for my project I had already planned on doing, thanks again to Pinterest. 

I got home and threw all of the dinner ingredients in to the crock pot and I got the Apple Cheese Casserole (my hubby's favorite) all ready. I cleaned up the house. I got my project ready. And here is my  organization of our instruction manuals (that were just sitting in a drawer totally unorganized) masterpiece step by step:    

Step 1: Pull out all Instruction Manuals from junk drawer (Yikes!)

Step 2: Set up your binder

Step 3: Organize manuals alphabetically. I only did this because I am OCD (you might be able to omit)

Step 4: Slide manuals in binder 

Step 5: Make cute page for front of binder and store. Yay for organization! 

After I was done, it was time to pick up my girl. I got there early, again, ready to grab my girl and hold her tight and swing her around in circles. (I refrained from the last part, promise.) The report I got was an okay one. She had some tears off and on. But enjoyed music time, and bubble time, and arts and crafts, and she wouldn't let go of one of the workers (she phrased it as "she was my little shadow" but I knew what she meant.) So, she had a pretty good day and we left with all of us hopeful that Friday would be better. I told her that I was so so proud of her beautiful art project and she seemed very proud, she was beaming. Here it is, on the fridge:

Dinner turned out perfectly (SO good, recipe here. I used hot rotel and added a pkg taco seasoning and pkg ranch dressing mix) and the apple casserole was so good that I didn't even get a picture of it before the Hubs was diving in. He may or may not have said it was better than his mother's. I'll never tell. And sorry, you can't have that recipe unless I know you personally and you ask me for it. 

Delicious Dinner 

Sweet Hubby brought home precious flowers. Love that man!!

Today was the second day. She still cried a little when I dropped her off but when I picked her up, after another busy day, we got a GREAT report. Her sweet teacher said she had a great day and was so sweet and happy and good. YAY, she showed them how awesome she is! Her teacher asked if we would be in town Monday (not a day we attend MDO) and I said yes we would and she said she thought it would be best for me to go ahead and bring Leighton on Monday this week to get her really used to coming and getting to know the kids and teachers better, get in to a routine, etc. I was blown away. I am so thankful that these wonderful people care that much about my sweet girl. And Leighton was SO happy when I got her in my arms. She covered me with sugar and gave her teacher sugar. She was happy in the car on the way home and when we got home I rocked her for a minute, put her in her crib and she didn't even whimper. She laid down with a smile on her face and drifted in to dream land. So, the verdict, we LOVE Trinity MDO, God is SO good!