Kaity Belle etc...

This is a bit scattered but I'm harried. My life is barreling along like freight train and I'm missing getting some good stuff written down. About to blow out her candles:

With her new scooter!

At her birthday party at boondocks with her friend Fiona.

Oh, just had to add this one. Jody was a machine with that thing, had me soaking wet by the end!

Kaitlyn turned seven. It's crazy to even see that in print. I remember watching that streak of white hair in the front of her head growing in and wondering what it would look like someday. Someday is here and I love that white streak - when her hair is clean enough to see it. She's a divine work of God and I don't think anyone can look at her for more than two seconds without breaking out into a huge grin. Her being radiates happy energy and it's contagious. So, today was Mother's Day and Kait was managing everything, she had presents all lined up for me, a breakfast menu planned and she worked tirelessly all morning to make my Mother's Day morning special. I love her heart and dedication even if she does do that leading question thing "Mom, are you very happy that I didn't just quit working and leave everything up to Dad?" (she casts a sidelong glance at Eden who has her headphones on and is watching netflix on her iPod).

I mean, well, she's right but you just can't encourage such a "holier than thou" persona. I haven't quite figured out what to do with that. LOL Otherwise, my Mother's Day was very sweet. Jody got up early and ran to the store so they would have what they needed to make me a splendiferous breakfast. He came home with a bouquet of lilies for me and went to the tv and turned on the Sarah McLachlan pandora channel. It made me tear up because he thinks of little things like that even after 10 years of marriage. He knows deep down I wish we didn't even have a tv and I could just listen to music and he thought of it in the middle of all of the rest that he was doing for me. Just watching him painstakingly type in S-A-R-A-H made me all melty inside. Then he and Kait made these amazing little puff pastry cream cheese strawberry concoctions and it was AMAZING! I ate four, no kidding. The girls both made me something, Kait in art class and Eden at a birthday party, so now I have very special pottery to have tea and scones on every Saturday. Love love my girls! Jody got me some CUTE capri pants that fit perfect. I wish I could find stuff that fits me as well as he does. I don't know how he does it.
Anyway, the school year is coming to a close and it was a blur. Simply a blur. I did a record breaking "worst homework/test study stats ever" this year and I feel justified. I have Hazel and that's the way it is. Hazel is great. She warms my heart with her open mouth smiles and toothless chomping of cheerios. She's pure fun. Nick - oh boy, Jody told me the funniest story about him tonight. Jody came in from out front and Nick had the ovaltine container and apparently was dipping his fingers in and licking them off. Jody said "whatcha doing?" Nick said "what are YOU doing?" Jody said "do you have chocolate?" Nick said "no, this is chocolate milk mix." Jody said, ok well don't eat it, I'll be back inside in a minute and he went back out front. When he came back in Nick had put the mix away and was now camping out under the dining table. Jody crouched down and said "you know, you are one funny kid." Nick said "you're a mackadoo." Jody said "You're a mackadee." Nick said "You're a makadi" I've never seen a four year old with such a ready reply to everything. Hilarious.

Here's a couple pictures of my morning opening the very heartfelt gifts from my family.

http://afewshortcuts.com/2012/05/strawberry-cream-puff-pastry/

Yes, we are still house hunting. No, we do not know where we will wind up. It's kinda fun and exciting and crazy all at once. All I know is the stars have aligned and I think it all had something to do with Hazel. We couldn't buy a house until Hazel got here because she changes everything. Hazel has righted our world. When I think about how hard life was before her, I'm puzzled.
A final thought. I was selling furniture on Saturday and had an epiphany. I think we had to go to Minnesota so I could meet Knelly Dettinger and be best friends forever with her. She has been a godsend in my life. If I hadn't met her, well I don't know where our life would be right now or what it would be like because she changed everything. Thanks Knel!

Four things #4 has taught me so far...

The first thing that Hazel taught me is that you can experience raising a baby without glancing over your shoulder wishing you had tried to savor something more. I feel completely "in the now" with Hazel. Everything she does is grand and and I simply enjoy each moment. What's behind us is nothing but great memories and what's ahead of us rarely crosses my mind. I wept regularly each time I realized something had ended while raising my first three babies. Not Hazel. I feel completely content with who she is and where she's at now. Now is enough for me and I wish I could pass out this feeling to every new parent like coconut water or something. It's magic. Secondly, Hazel taught me that babies don't have elbows when they are born. I have regularly smoothed my hand over the spot that will be an elbow someday with great wonder. Thirdly, I noticed that I never said the word "no" to her until she was 5 months and 1 week old. I know this is starting to sound nonsensical but these things stand out to me. As a mother who says "no" a hundred times a day, there was a certain glory in the knowledge that I had one person in the house who I never had to say that word to until the reaching and grabbing and smushing into her mouth maneuvers started. But "no" is still a coo. I just coo it mindlessly while prying her fingers off of the window blinds or blades of grass she has just plucked or a crumpled piece of paper she has already half eaten. Fourth, I am divinely blessed to know her. It's a simple phrase but it's kinda heavy. I know an amazing little person who loves me and smiles at me and snuggles me. All that she is, amazes me. Not because I consider her a prodigy. Not because I think she's cognitively or physically superior to her peers. Not because I convinced myself she's been sitting up since she was two weeks old and playing chess since the age of 3 months. No, because she's Hazel. Hazel is great. She's my little chum and I'm so glad to know her, have her here and spend part of my life with her. I love her.