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This past week was one for the books. I'm still on vacation mode, so I am just popping in to share this week's portrait.

After living in the city for four years, I always forget how rejuvenating nature can be. There is something about the open air, the cool mountain breeze, glassy lakes, and the sounds of flowing rivers and chirping birds that resets the mind and calms the spirit.

I need to remember that.

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Happpppeeee Friiiidaaaaayyyyyyyyyayayayay!

How the heck are you? I hope you had a lovely Feast Day of St. Terese. 

Did I tell you I joined the parish choir? Well, I did! The local parish (seriously only a 2 two minute drive or a 15 minute walk from us, woot woot) has a beautiful basilica choir for their 9:30 am service on Sundays. They had a ministry fair two weekends ago and lo and behold, I joined 'em. They practice Wednesday evenings and I must say that enjoy that time in the evenings to get out of the house and talk to other adults. I was in my university's chapel choir my senior year with my friend Allisun and we loved it.

I am glad to have found a parish so close to us and the priests are really nice. The community has been incredibly welcoming too. Yay!

On Sunday, my mom arrives for a visit! Emma is looking forward to being spoiled by mamaw. We also go to Tahoe for the second half of the week. I haven't been to Tahoe for over a year and I am aching to get to the mountains. I don't know how much blogging I'll do next week because I really want to focus on my mom's visit and our little vacation.

This week's portrait featuring chunky cheeks and her one true love - shoes. 

I am sure that this is encoded into toddlers' DNA because there is just something about toddlers and shoe obsession that go hand-in-hand. This girl loves shoes - all shoes - and will attempt to wear them, walk around in them, put them on my feet, etc. When she attempts to bring dirty shoes into bed I have to step in because, no thanks.

On this particular shoe adventure, she figured out that if she untied the laces and held them she could better hold on to the shoes during trek throughout the apartment. Genius. 

Speaking of toddler hair (okay we weren't really but I'm the queen of the non sequitur), this girl's hair is out of control. It appears to be fine and curly in the back, wavy on the top, and easily tangles. She quite frequently looks like the scientist from Back to the Future. She protests the baby hair ties most of the time so we are all graced with this crazy mane.

Last year during Emma's first Tahoe trip we took an old-timey photo that basically changed my life. I wonder if I can get her to do it again... There's a new pair of shoes in it for ya kid.

Any who, I hope you all have a grand weekend. Ours will start a little early with a party/BBQ for Paul's work this afternoon. Paul also wants to see one of his favorite tennis players at a local tournament tomorrow so we might do that too. This morning I need to catch up on my DVRed shows. I love premiere season! (BTW, what shows do you religiously watch?) I am all over the place today. 

Happy weekending! 

Welcome October

'Tis here! It's the first day of October and I'm dancing. It is the start of the best (!!!) season, filled with holidays, baked goods, and family time. Exactly one year ago, Emma was just starting to sit up all on her own and she was growing into her personality. Her smiles lit up the room and she was still taking three naps a day. My darling pumpkin is now 17 months old (how??) and is running around from sun up until sun down. She loves her baths, wrestles with her dad, and loves bananas more than any human ever. She babbles all day long and is completely sassy.

These aren't tears. No really I'm fine.

But I know you didn't come here to just listen to my ramblings so on to photos of my little pumpkin.

Complete with my trick-or-treating pumpkin from my very own youth. That bucket has seen many a candy bar. 

A year ago she was making faces like this and now I'm dead. All I picture is that foot on my kidney. No really, I'm fine. 

Happy October!

Because, sunnies

Saturday was for sunnies, lunching, and family - the best kind of day.

(Emma and I need to work on our outfit of the day poses.)

Emma ate her weight in sourdough bread and I ate mine in muscles smothered in saucy goodness. The restaurant did not have kids cups so the kind server got creative with a takeout soup container with a hole poked in the lid for a straw. She adored it. We loved watching the boats sail into the docks. The sun brushed our cheeks. And we walked hand in hand. 

I am feeling a little nostalgic today. I was looking through old photos and old blog posts (trying to organize my tags) and was thinking about all the memories my little family has made. Emma has brought so much joy to our lives. Her dad adores her mom and we love her more than our own lives. 

We may lose sleep. We may sprout a few more grays. But the beautiful memories are made each day. And those we get to spend with family, well they are the best kind of days.

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Happy Friday!

Which does not really mean much to me since I was home all week. I am going a little stir crazy and need to find some things to do (and adults to talk to). I will be brainstorming this weekend.

How was your week? I have been enjoying all of the events of the Pope's visit. Thank God for the interewebs with its magical live streaming. Although it is a goal of mine to actually see him in person. One day... 

I have some killer bug bites on my feet that make me want to rip them off. Must.not.scratch. That's what we get for moving closer to nature (also known as, not the city surrounded by its sterile concrete). And by nature, I mean several more trees and visible flying and crawling creatures. This woman right here got used to the lack of crawling things. Y to the uck.  

My insomnia is also making an ugly appearance again. I go through phases here and there but my restless leg syndrome is really severe right now and even though I'm exhausted, precious sleep just doesn't come. Grrrrreat. If you are also a sufferer of insomnia, let's chat (you know at 3 am when everyone else is asleep). 

This has thus reduced me to a pile of eye bags, an IV coffee drip, and gratuitous usage of kids Netflix on the iPad. Happy watching little couch potato. Mom's gotta mom. (Parenting revelation number 2,093: never throw that side eye shade at kids with iPads. You never know what those parents are going through.) 

Also, I am at a loss regarding Emma's current developmental stage - testing boundaries and asserting independence. Currently she is pushing her elephant bouncing ride-on thing around the apartment and ramming it into the walls and furniture as hard as humanly possible. A few moments ago, she was stacking her toys and books to stand on even though she's fallen thrice already. 

In other words, she cray.

While the exploration is a good things (and completely fascinating) I always thought that I was strong-willed and would be able to put my foot down more when the tantrums abound. But alas, no. I am as soft as a jelly filled doughnut. And now I want a doughnut.

Emma: screaming at Trader Joe's because she wants to hold the new soap dispenser
Me: No thank you Emma.
Emma: screaming louder
Emma: throwing herself on the floor
Me: looking up to the sky and getting sympathetic looks from passing parents
Me: FINE. Here hold the soap.
Emma: immediately stops screaming, looks me in the face, and throws it on the floor
Emma: smiles
Me: 

Tell me all the secrets to parenting. Mmkaythanks. (I know there are no secrets and that every child is different and every corrective/discipline/direction style is different, but a girl can dream.)

Current mood. 

I feel ya girl.

What are your weekend plans?