The Rookie

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Hey, Yank. Who's your biggest fan?

Well... I know your littlest.

Can we please pause to discuss how handsome the vintagey man o' my dreams is? He had me at the crinkly eyes.

Growing

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Sometimes, to really see things as they are meant to be seen, you need to step back and change the perspective a bit.

Take the time to really look around and process it all.

.

Yep. That happened.

Somewhere around 23,000 feet in the air, I was struck with the realization that an alone weekend sans kids/hubs hadn't happened for this chick in over seven years... although, I am quite certain it has been longer. Heck, most days a visit to the toilet doesn't even happen alone. How's that slant to my perspective? This break was long overdue. And what do you know, while nestled up against the window, in all that pressurized air, breathing suddenly came a little easier.

I didn't take a million pictures, make to-do lists or even schedule one must do thing. I listened, I internalized, I relaxed within my world, wrapped up in some good company and made way for more growing.

Looking around now, I am able to see things that perhaps I might have overlooked without the little change of scenery. I had lots of time wrapped up in thoughts of growing. It seems that there are all types of growing happening all around me to appreciate. Man, am I am appreciating it.

For example.

Today at a ballet demonstration I was struck with an acute awareness that this...

has now transformed to this...

               
And for all the little girly goofiness that abundantly exists...

 They can listen now.

 And follow directions... using REAL ballet terms...

 They get feet positions...

Heck, they can plank.

 I sit here stunned. Because in truth, it doesn't feel like seven years since I have had lots of alone time.

In fact, this...

feels like it could have been my yesterday.

Realizing that I have a lifetime to spend celebrating this gal

as she becomes the beautiful woman she will one day be, I am swept away and painfully aware of how quickly that day will arrive. Hopefully, only after a decade of beaches reminding me to breathe and live in the now.

Days like today are the best parts of growing to be found.

A good deal of new

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This time tomorrow I will have had my feet in the oceans of my childhood. I will have driven an SUV up the coast and ran gaping smiles into the arms of my best friend. A perfect start to the weekend. Now. IF only it could just get here.

It is a big weekend of new for all of us. This will be my first time to ever leave my little Lu bug. In fact, just the second time I will have ever left the whole gang at length. This is a LONG overdue Mommy break, no?Weaning is officially in process and I am still in shock that we made it a year. What a great year of nursing... it's the nights I miss it the most. Traveling to the southern corner of the country pump free? Completely eases me into the transition.

 Another new happening this weekend is this...

The practice Wednesday night was just about the funniest thing I have ever seen. At one point, the ball was coming to Gabriel but he missed it because it was too busy hugging his friend, Tucker. So excited to hear the updates from Saturday. Go Yankees. Go Florida. Go new.

Lucky

 ...
My family knows a little something about luck.

We start them early.

While they're still all leprechaun like...

And then we just watch them grow.

What started as just one Irish lass

has become generations upon generations of green

(All of the great-grandchildren minus four) 

My big Irish family is better than a whole pot of gold.

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And speaking of luck...

The winner of the adorable bunny hat (your color/size of choice) goes to via Random Number Generator:

MYRIAH BRADY!!! 


Yay! Your birthday boy is going to look adorable in his bunny hat! Myriah, I'll send you an email now with Melody's info and she'll take it from there!

Thanks to everyone that entered! Go and check out the rest of Melody's incredible work at Beautiful Mess Crochet---I dare you resist the cuteness.

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If you're lucky enough to be Irish, then your lucky enough.

Mr. Doodle

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When planning a trip to the arboretum for Dallas Blooms, I would have figured the highlight for all of us would have been all the beautiful flowers.

 or perhaps the storybook houses.

 Nope. Best part of the trip clearly went to our new friend, the doodle bug. I mean, how could he not be the most favorite? Look at how HUGE he is.

 We found him while trying to take these.

 and he just crawled all over their little hands

It was so exciting that even LUCY had to meet Mr. Doodle.

In which she immediately knocked him down Gabe's pants.

Bugs down pants.


It just doesn't get funnier than that.

 Pure joy captured in a blurry candid.

Here's to a funny buggy day.

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Totally unrelated! Just two days left for the giveaway so be sure to enter if you haven't. A couple of people said that they commented but for some reason, blogger deleted their comments. Eeek. Try again and if it happens to you just shoot me a message at crazymaydays@gmail.com and I'll try to put you in from my end. Silly blogger.

Hope your first official day of Spring tomorrow has a better weather forecast than ours!
Julie

GIVEAWAY!!!!

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Every once in awhile, you find a baby/kid purchase that seems to be the perfect thing for your little. Something to years down the road, bust out the ole' baby box and just smile at. This special little item has captured a moment in your life that you never want to forget.

For us, it is this one hat for our special little Lu bird. You've seen the pictures all over this blog... I adore this hat... and of course the sweet gal wearing it.

So... you can only imagine how THRILLED I am to host a giveaway for my friend, Melody, the master talent behind Beautiful Mess Crochet. She is unveiling her newest design and y'all... it is stinkin' cute and just in time for Easter.

Bunny ears!!!

Meet Melody

"When I was 10 years old I asked my grandmother to teach me to crochet. With all of the wisdom of a seasoned grandmother, she taught me to do the most basic beginning stitch, a chain. So I proudly crocheted a chain with an entire skein of yarn and then remembered it was summer and forgot all about crocheting. 15 years later, I decide (a little more seriously) to learn to crochet. Over these past few years, I have been learning more and more about crochet and adding to my crochet skills. And last year before my son was born, I found the most wonderful owl hat I just had to make for my baby! And that is how Beautiful Mess Crochet got started. Everyone loved my owl hats and encouraged me to open an Etsy shop. Now here we are almost a year later and I am adding to my collection of hats. And I am happy to release my new bunny hat!"

 THE DEETS

The winner of this giveaway will receive an adorable bunny hat in either white/pink, brown/white or grey/pink in the size that you need for the little lady or man in your life. Order now for Easter or in advance for next fall! And since I know that you won't be able to stop with just bunnies, be sure to check at her etsy site to see all her amazing work. The dino hats? Adorable.

Your chances to win:

***Place a comment on my blog to receive one chance to win
***Become a follower of my blog and leave another comment to let me know for another chance.
***Like Beautiful Mess Crochet on Facebook and leave a comment about it for another chance

and finally

***Tweet/Blog/FB about this giveaway for 3 final chances to win. That's right. 6 separate chances to win. Just be sure to leave separate comments for each.

Giveaway will run today (Friday) to Wednesday Night @ 9pm. Good Luck!!!

Super

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Ridding the world of evil is an arduous task. I mean, as parents, we can only take on so much. While secretly, we may just see ourselves as impeccably mighty, it is in our hearts that recognize our biggest strength and at times-- our greatest kryptonite.

It's them.

The ferocious livers of life

the stealth-like silly

 the determined destructors.

 Protecting the things that matter the most to them...

 fearless in the face of danger

 chaotic in a crowd

champions of laughter

 the experts at wishing.

They're the sweetness of our life...

the drivers of our caffiene addictions...

They are our very best work.

arriving in tiny packages...

 insatiable... always hungry... tiny packages

 of Super.

You celebrate super.