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.

Fifteen

One week ago, I turned 35 years old. This birthday felt big to me, strangely much bigger than 30 felt. What's interesting, though, is that as this birthday approached, I found myself thinking much less about turning 35 and much more about the birthday I celebrated 20 years ago. As insane as it is for me to realize, 20 years ago I turned 15. I keep thinking about that 15-year-old girl and all the things I wish I could tell her...
Hi Beautiful! {Yes, I'm talking to you.}
It will be a long time before anyone ever calls you that and even longer before you feel it for yourself. But, trust me, beautiful you are.
Fifteen... And, yet, I know all you can think of is turning 16. You perceive all the other girls as being so much more mature; seeming to have it all together; seeming to know who they are. You feel like you're in some weird 'in between' stage - not a kid anymore but not grown up either. You struggle to play a role of who you think you're supposed to be or how you think you're supposed to act. Fifteen will be a hard year for you, and I'd like to share a little advice from someone who knows you pretty, pretty well.
Be YOU. And, yes, I do know you're still trying to figure out who you is. You know that little voice inside that whispers to you when something feels right or screams at you when it doesn't? Listen to it. You'll find that you are the happiest when your inside matches your outside, when there's a congruence between how you feel and how you act.
Relax. No, really. Relaaaaaax. Can you believe that you will take yourself and your life more seriously in these next couple years than during any other time of your life? Why? I can't say for sure beyond the fact that teenage emotions and hormones are kind of nutty. Things, all things, seem very serious right now; but believe me, Sweetheart, they are not.
Show kindness to everyone. Sometimes I've noticed that you get wrapped up in your own little clique even to the purposeful exclusion of others. But in your heart (that little voice I told you about) you are a sweet girl, and treating people unfairly has never felt quite right to you. Don't just treat others as you'd wish to be treated; treat them even better.
Smart is a good thing. Somewhere along the way, you seem to have gotten the idea that you can't be both smart and popular. I've even seen you act dumb at times. Girlfriend, there's nothing cute about stupid. This is an easy fix, though! You're a bright girl; anyone who expects you to dumb-down really doesn't deserve your time. (Trust me on this one. You'll really come to regret not doing your best in school when college applications come around.)
Boys are silly. Especially teenage boys. Don't spend one second of your life thinking about that boy who doesn't seem to want to give you a second glance. And for goodness sakes, dry those eyes! There's not a single boy you know who's worth your tears, Sweetie! (And when THE perfect fella does show up, you'll realize that he was totally worth the wait.)
Now, I've focused a lot on what's on the inside, and, no doubt, it is what's most important. However, we both know that the outside matters, too. So, My Dear, let me give you just a few tips on that front.
Hair. This is a biggie. I know how you envy the gals with the perfect hair, the hair that is completely unaffected by humidity and looks perfectly adorable in a randomly placed pony. Darling, that is not your hair. The sooner your accept this fact, the sooner you can move on to making the best of a not-so-great gene pool in the hair department.

1. Just because Fantastic Sam's has a coupon for a free hair-cut doesn't mean you should cash it in. Seriously. 
2. Pantene Pro-V will not do anything close to what it does on those tv commercials. It most deinitely does not create 'hair so healthy it shines.'
3. Invest in a good flat iron and learn to use it. (They'll get better and better over the next few years.) Cash all those babysitting checks you've been stacking up on your desk. There's no greater use of your money. 
4. Find a good salon (not Fantastic Sam's - I cannot stress this enough) and visit regularly. Ask for product recommendations and use them. 
5. You do not have to settle for the shade of mousey brown that your hair has turned over the past few years. A great stylist (see #4) can return you to your childhood blonde. A box purchased at Walmart, however, cannot. Don't even try. 
   
   NOT EVEN ONCE.
   {Orange hair flatters no one.}

Clothes. This one is a little tricky. The absurd dress code at school makes compiling a stylish wardrobe a tad precarious, but it can be done. Here are a few basic tips to get you started.

1. Avoid all sweatshirts that are decorated with furry animals, holiday motifs, or Disney characters. And for goodness sakes, no 15-year-old should be wearing a shirt embossed with puffy paint! 
2. Just because something's on sale, doesn't mean you should buy it. Even if it's at The Gap.
3. Those cheerleading uniforms are just hideous. If you insist on being a cheerleader, at least take that thing off before you go out in public. NO ONE WILL THINK IT'S COOL THAT YOU'RE A CHEERLEADER IN A SKIRT THAT LONG. 
4. Choose things that look good on you, not things that look good on your friends.
5. Take a friend who will tell you the truth (and who wants you to look good) shopping with you. Your mom is great at a lot of things, but fashion is not her strong suit. Take special advantage of your friends who have older sisters.
   
   Never. Borrow. Your. Mom's. Clothes.

Make-up. Wear it. It's pretty simple. Just take a little time to look your best each day. I know how hard it is for you to wake up in the mornings, but ten minutes to apply power, blush, mascara, and lip gloss is time well spent. This is another area that is worth a little investment. You can go cheap on the mascara, but spend a touch more on other things. It's worth it.
Sweetie, I wish I could save you all the heartache that comes with growing up, but I'm afraid it's just a part of life. Maybe it makes you feel better to know that all those people who seem to have it all together are just as confused as you are. And, can I let you in on a little secret? In about 15 years, something called FaceBook (It's a social networking site. On the internet. Never-mind.) will come around, and you'll see for yourself that the cutest boys and the most put together girls in this microcosm of high-school haven't turned out exactly as you might have expected.
I promise your life evolve in ways far greater than you could have even imagined. Things may not happen on the exact timetable you expect, but, believe me, it will all be worth the wait. And, just for fun, here's a little peek at yourself on your thirty-fifth birthday.

Were you expecting a jean jumper and gray hair?

(Looks like you finally mastered the mane!)