Confession ...

On Sunday I agreed to let her cut this doll head's hair with real scissors.

I let her do this because it bought me about 25 minutes of peace and quiet.

I was also impressed to see her play with actual toys for any amount of time.

Another confession:  It's Tuesday night and the dolls hair is still on the floor of the sunroom.

I'm tired.

There are many times....

when she is so precious that my heart literally hurts.  There are other times when she talks so much with so little pause that my ears literally hurt.  This was one of those times:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I will be honest

Lucy and I had a sort of pissy morning today.  I take almost all of the blame.  I did NOT want to engage.  I didn't.  I wanted her to play with a toy or something (ha good luck me).  When lunch came and went I knew I had to follow through on our nature center plans or I would waste this Sunday away and just set Lucy up for a terrible Monday at school. 

So we went and I can say that I pretty much rocked the parenting think from 1pm -5pm (a brief intermission of whiney guilt inducing parenting over the dinner hour) and again from 6pm til bedtime.  Here is some photographic evidence.

get a cranky, wild, sensory-seeking girl out in the woods and the sun

stay for 2 hours

Watch her spirit soar like it was meant to.

Enjoy her like a mom should.

see her challenge herself.

still those gasps and those "be carefuls"

(as much as you can)

extend that city length leash

watch her enjoy that trust

try not to completely FREAK OUT

when she catches a snake, and holds it like

she's been catching and handling snakes

her whole life (she has not)

enjoy the solitude of just us two

watch her imagination run completely wild

and beautiful and amazing

see her turn a leaf into a treasure map.  i see the treasure,

i am looking right at her.

quickly mourn that this seems to be the year

that rolling down hills turns a little "gross" to her

let her climb as high as she can

watch her turn logs into a "stairway to heaven"

and then curse as that song gets stuck in your

head the rest of the night.

Thank you Mother Nature.  Once again you came to our rescue.

I am in love ...

With this family and the video they made and the distance they've travelled and the writing on the wall in the video.  Go here.  Watch the video.  Cry. 

http://www.welcometomybrain.net/2011/04/three-years.html

then go ahead and read the rest of the blog.  learn. do.

Looser

Lucy is such a looser. 

Lucy had her first baby tooth come out.  First thing I learned about teeth coming out was that it totally grosses me out (thanks mom).  Uck.  Lucy was all alone in the getting the tooth out endeavor because her mom was cringing in a corner and covering her eyes (yes i was).  Second thing I learned about Lucy loosing her first tooth was that it sent me into momentary depression.  I saw that sucker come in.  I gave her frozen wash cloths to chew on and felt that sharp little tooth bite down on my finger and now it's gone.  It may seem like just a tooth, but to me it's just another way of proving that I have absolutely no control over the fact that Lucy is growing up way too fast.  I am sure none of you are surprised to hear that Lucy is THRILLED that she is growing up. 

Soul-Mates

Lucy found her new best girl friend this weekend:

It was really amazing the way these two connected after two years apart.

They don't read blogs, they aren't on FB but still ... it was like picking up where

they left off, only better.

I have never seen Lucy engage for so long, so positively in

same-age peer play as I have this weekend with Mimi

Lest I be less-than-honest, I'll let you know that it was either twice as nice or

twice as obnoxious with these two ... but nice or obnoxious, it was really

magical!!!!  

Speaking for myself, the reunion of the mama's after two years was pretty sweet as well. 

I blame Facebook

It's a common story, face book killed the blog. I have to remember that part of why I keep my blog is to provide Lucy with a well documented narration of her young childhood (I imagine I might have to eventually stop broadcasting her life). We've been busy busy busy. Coming down off of spring break, getting ready for weekend visitors, living life! I love spring, Lucy loves spring. We love being outside and expanding the boundaries of our home once again. We love our firepit and roasting marshmallows with our friends and neighbors. Barely survived the winter but here we are celebrating spring and life!!!

We colored a few Easter eggs, basically to survive the afternoon and so Lucy could have some protein in her lunches.

                            Lucy and her "niece" Nellie the dog had some sunny bonding time.

we had some very difficult and honest conversation about murder. A young woman was shot and killed 1/2 a block from our house. Lucy saw the memorial. I told her what happened. Crashed a little of the childhood innocence. Terrible.

Lucy got an appointment at Shriner's. Here she is getting fitted for a partial prosthesis. The adaptive tech dude tells her she should be able to wear flip flops. She is over the moon. Adding to her excitement was the fact that I gave her a pretend doctors exam, to calm her down and pass the time and discovered a very loose bottom tooth! Lucy is sooooo excited about loosing her first tooth.

Lucy asked for a mohawk. I wouldn't shave her head or dye it red (such a lame lame mom)

so we created a fauxhawk. it actually looks way more awesome and 'hawky in real life. She was pretty excited.

Also on Lucy's list of fun exciting things:

1. her best friend Garrett (a sub at my work) who she describes are very cute is going to get her her very own composting worms. She can't wait until they have babies.

2. she has a beetle in her bug house, which is in my house

3. the snow has all melted, which means plenty of mud

4. she has figured out how to put diapers on my mom's little doxie (dog), and can't wait to see the dog again!