The Sweetest Things, Q2

Life is good today. I'm smack-dab in the middle of one of the most productive weeks I've had in who knows how long.  I've been working through to-do lists that I've had for months, organizing and editing digital photos, ordering a zillion photo prints to fill our albums, and enjoying a general feeling of being 'on top' of things. All this productivity has created a perfect time for me to pause and reflect on life lately.
The Sweetest Things of the second quarter of 2013...

1. Baby Boom...though still an itty bitty in terms of size, Baby Wright has gone from being a newborn to a fun, playful, sweet baby during these past few months. She's blabbering and giggling and sitting (not yet on the move) and wiggling and eating and interacting. Big Sister Carter loves getting a laugh out of her; Murphy often joins her on my lap to 'love on her'; and Lindsay and I are eager and happy to be the one who gets to hold her when she becomes irritated in the stroller or highchair. What's been especially fun during the past few months is seeing our sweet girl in action with other babies. Her girlfriends, Malone and Emerson, made their appearance in the world a littler earlier than she did. While Maddex, Kennedy, and Henlee gave her a few months to get a lay of the land before they came on the scene. I so look forward to watching all these littles grow up and feel so fortunate that Baby Wright already has quite a group of besties! 
   
   Malone (9/17/12), Emerson (10/1/12), Maddex (3/22/13)
   Kennedy (4/13/13),  Henlee (5/22/13)
2. Major Milestones...for Carter the second quarter of the year meant meeting milestones and celebrating accomplishments. In April, she turned the big 0-5 which meant a princess and superhero themed birthday party for all of her favorite people. On the evening of her birthday, she informed us that she'd like to stay five forever and earnestly voiced her request to God during her bedtime prayers that night. (I can't say I'd be disappointed if her wish was granted...) 
   
   FIVE!
   With turning five came the anticipation of kindergarten in the fall but not before an official graduation from preschool. Lindsay and I beamed as we watched our firstborn enthusiastically participate in the musical portion of the graduation ceremony (we're still unsure whether or no the other kiddos opted not to do the motions to the songs or if she was just making up her own!). I was surprised one night in early May when she randomly recited The Lord's Prayer (I'm talking King James' style complete with hallowed and trespasses) and loved hearing her say the classic prayer in unison with her classmates. 
   
   The lil graduate.
   
   So proud of herself.
   
   Crazy about the one who made us parents.
   As extra-curriciulars go, Carter has dabbled in soccer, ballet, and tap, but only gymnastics has remained a constant. She both enjoys it and seems to have a bit of natural talent. She challenges herself and has been focused on mastering her split (almost!) and perfecting her cartwheel. Before taking a break for the summer, she participated in an exhibition and was more than thrilled to earn her first (ever) real trophy. 
   
   Straight legs! Tight arms!
   
   Demonstrating how her strooooooong
   muscles help her rock-out her gymnastics.
   As summer drew near, Carter also mastered the two-wheeler, began swimming (actual swimming which is a relevant distinction when comparing this to what she had formerly called 'swimming'), and excitedly rode the bus to attend a big kid day camp. Watching my biggest girl thrive, grow, excel makes me all kinds of happy!
3. Lazy Summer Days...school for the big girls ended in mid-May. Though we had several trips planned as well as a few camps lined up, I'll admit that I was approaching summer with a bit of dread. I had visions of them spending all day bickering and whining while I'd just be wondering at what point in the day it would be acceptable for me to engage in little wine-ing of my own. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the way our summer began to unfold. It was refreshing to begin our days on our own time without the mad rush to get lunches packed and head out the door. I'm one of the lucky (and rare, it seems) moms who has little ones who actually enjoy sleeping in. Several mornings, all of us (baby included!), slept till nearly 9:00 and then took our time getting moving. We've enjoyed lunches at the pool, movies on rainy afternoons, and catching fireflies in the dark.
4.  Keeping Up...for as much as I see modern technology as being both a blessing and a curse, for me, the best part of it all is the forum it creates for staying connected. Having lived in three states in the last seven years, I have friends all over the place. I don't imagine those friendships would have easily been maintained prior to the email/text/FaceBook era. As much as I love a good chat, carving out a quiet moment for a phone call is next impossible. And it seems that lately I've heard more and more of my friends say that they aren't good on the phone (truth: I don't really get what that means!). In the midst of all the busyness that accompanied this season, I've managed to stay caught up on the goings on of my loved ones while waiting for the camp bus, driving (when a phone call is best, I love Bluetooth!), and nursing the baby (yay for iPhone multi-tasking!). 
5. Murphyisms...it's no secret that Murphy Girl has been on her own agenda since the day she came into this world. Lately, though, her hilarity, quick wit, and down-right darlingness have been on display more often than her naughty, stubborn shenanigans.
   
   Walking the dog while visiting
   'Great Great Great Ganpa'.
   One thing's for sure: Murphy has a way with words. 'Yea, I'm am,'  is a favorite Murphyism which she says in response to any typical 'Are you...?' question. 'Sorry 'bout dat,' is a little quip she casually says, often after spilling or breaking something. This one is especially cute when followed up with, 'It was a accident,' which is often accompanied by her signature shoulder shrug. With Murphy, the real humor comes not so much in what she says but how she says it. Perfect example: a sweet 11 year old cousin was sitting beside Murphy at a family gathering back in May. She was minding her own business and had actually been doting on the three girls all day. Murphy looked over at her, and, with all the seriousness her two and a half year old self could muster, threatened, 'I'll break-a your arm...' Why? Neither I nor the potential tween victim had any clue. Yet, this phrase - that would sound horrible coming out of most anyone's mouth - sounded beyond comical in her little Murphy dialect.
   
   Cousin Emerson holding Baby Wright.
   (Does this look like a child who's accustomed 
   to being threatened with physical harm by a toddler?)
   After hearing me scold Carter more than once about trying to manage the Murph, Murphy ignored Carter's nagging, looked up at me, and said, 'How 'bout you just handle me, Mommy?'
   
   So representative of their relationship.
   Upon hearing Baby Wright crying in the other room, she scurried to her side, calling, 'Hold on, Wrighty Pie! Murphy-Mommy's coming!' on her way.
   
   Lovin' on Baby Wright.
   At bedtime, when she's sure to be wearing a princess dress and high-heels (yes, even to bed), her 'God bless' list includes 'eyeball, the cockadoo, and crazy.'
   
   Dressed for nappy time.
    Dare I say we're coming out on the other side of all the Murphy melodrama? Probably not. But at least she's providing plenty of comic relief along the way! 

Sweet. Sweet. Sweet. 

My little corner of the world is just filled to the brim with the Sweetest Things.