This entry marks the ending to the longest drought in the history of these Salad Days. While my natural inclination is to beat myself up about my lack of writing and compare myself to all the moms I know who are just so much more on top of things than I, I'm going to intentionally let those feelings go. I am choosing to offer myself the same grace that I so easily seem to grant to others. So straight from one quarter to the next, here goes...

Reminiscing on The Sweetest Things of 2014, Q2,

1. Big Girl Backyard Birthday Blowout...twenty-one days into the month of April, something astounding happened: our precious, firstborn baby girl turned six. I always knew that this birthday would feel 'big' to me. Something about six just seems so much older than any year before it.
   
   I blinked. This happened.
   As it turned out, Carter's birthday fell on the Monday after Easter Sunday and the first day back to school following spring break. This made party planning a bit tricky, but I can't say that I really encouraged her in the party department (I actually BEGGED her to skip a party this year and offered her double presents or a special getaway if she'd do so). Miss Social wouldn't hear of it and had very specific ideas of what she wanted her sixth blow-out to entail: panning for gold, pin the tail on the 'Boo', and a piñata were non-negotiables. And, similar to her four year old fiesta, a party at a party venue was out of the question. The wisest move I made in the party planning was enlisting the services of Carter's favorite acting teacher.  She and I pow-wowed (over Carter's wish-list, of course) to come up with a party itinerary, and she pretty much ran the entire thing on the big day.
   
   Miss Michelle.
   
   She rocks.
   
   Excited. Beyond. Words.
   
   Kiddos engaged in pantomime game. Murphy cautiously observing.
   {Note: cool piñata from Target.}
   
   A pleased crowd.
   
   Carter's game idea, though slightly amended, was a big hit.
   
   Took some thinking to implement this request.
   Carter wrote 'Booty Bags' on each of the cellophane collection bags.
   
   This activity was a big hit.
   The 400 pounds of sand proved to be a challenge a few weeks later for our move...
   
   Boo Birthday Cake. Adorable and delicious.
   
   A fun and rowdy bunch.
   Despite being less than enthused about hosting a birthday party in our backyard in the midst of such a busy season in our life, this day was really one of my favorite days over the past few months. I love how each and every aspect came straight from the mind of our imaginative, creative, out of the box thinking little big girl.
2. Sickday Snugglefests...similar to the time I mentioned my best girlfriend being diagnosed with cancer as being a sweet thing, this one is going to take some explaining. Though our little family had been fortunate in avoiding most all of the winter germies over the course of the school year, we were hit late, and we were hit hard. The first, and probably the worst of the yuckies actually came during the week leading up to Carter's birthday party. She'd requested her favorite home cooked meal, blueberry French toast, for dinner on her actual birthday.
   
   Yum. Yum
   Unfortunately, when I greeted Wright the next morning to find her entire crib covered in the blueberry French toast, it did not look quite as appealing.
   
   Sweet, sick angel.
   Baby Wright spread the love, and so began our family's first ever onslaught of the throw-ups. It went through the house like wildfire; even my poor mom, who'd only come to help, fell victim. Luckily, Murphy and I were sick simultaneously, so we didn't need to worry about contaminating each other. She and I were bed-bound for about 30 hours.
   
   This. Was. Rough.
   Thinking of it as a pre-swimsuit season crash diet didn't really help...
   Even in her weakened state, my pop princess could still entertain.
   Fortunately, Carter continued her lifetime stretch of having never had a tummy bug, and our newly six year old avoided catching the 'yucky burps' (love this term as coined by a dear friend's son). Incidentally, a couple weeks later, she was prescribed her first antibiotic EVER for bronchitis. Again, I hated that my sweet angel felt so puny, but I loved that our usually busy, busy, busy girl took some time to give her mama some extra lovin while she missed a few days of school. Unfortunately, the sicknesses, didn't end there, poor Wrighty had two ear infections AND strep throat all in the next two months. {I was pretty happy she chose not to share those strep germs.}
   
   Pitiful. Pitiful and precious.
   For the first time since her infancy, she rounded out a 16 hours stretch of sleep by sleeping soundly on my chest.
   
   My arm was asleep. I was starving. I had to pee. It was almost noon.
   I so did not even care.
   I HATE it when my babies are sick, but I sure do love the chance to spoil them with extra snuggles.
3. Milehigh Getaway...though Carter spent the first four years of her life in Denver, Colorado, I'd been noticing that she seemed to be remembering less and less about it. When I mentioned people or places, her memory was hazy at best. With Lindsay's encouragement - and after stumbling across some crazy-cheap direct flight plane tickets - I booked a surprise weekend trip for just the two of us for the first weekend in May. Leading up to that weekend, I'd given her hints that a surprise was coming. Initially, she'd guessed little things like a new toy or a pedicure. Then on the day before our trip, she really threw me a curveball when she said she thought we were going on a DISNEY CRUISE. Crap. Damn you Disney Jr. commercials. Now, instead of blowing her mind with this awesome surprise, I was scared of a major letdown. When I showed up at her classroom to pick her up for an early dismissal, she was pretty stoked. It wasn't until we arrived at the airport in Greensboro that I revealed the surprise.
   Genuinely excited.
   It was refreshingly easy flying with just one child. While she worked on her thank you notes for her birthday gifts, I read Rob Lowe's latest book on my iPad.
   
   Her American Girl, Nora, was our constant companion.
   It really felt like I was traveling with a best girlfriend. Some of our dearest friends from our time in Denver, Nick and Wendy, offered their home to Carter and me for our stay. As always, their hospitality was nothing short of impeccable. Carter had a BLAST playing with their boys (they have three of them) - so much so that she often didn't want to leave the house!
   
   One of my favorite pics of her. 
   Ever.
   She whispered in my ear in the midst of an especially fun afternoon backyard play session, 'Mommy, you know what I love about theses guys? They do whatever I want!' Oh dear. Chatting with Ms. Wendy is just about one of my favorite things in the world to do; I spent many hours doing just that while snuggling her sweet baby Cole. The weather during our visit reminded me of what I miss most about Colorado.
   
   Sunshine. Clear skies. Zero humidity. Perfection.
   We caught up with our friends Kelsey and Marin over a tasty brunch at Snooze. It was just as delicious as I'd remembered and hoped it would be.
   
   Friends since the Puppy class at Wellshire.
   Kelsey and I enjoyed apple juice mimosas on a Friday because, why not? We enjoyed seeing the Nichols' new house and Carter got down to the business of backyard exploration. I could have sat in that backyard all day chatting and laughing with Kels. Though our friendship was brief, we formed a quick bond and I miss her so! A few other 'musts' on Carter's list were the American Girl Store, Duffy Roll, and Mici.
   
   Nora got her hair styled, and
   Carter chose a new parasol for her dolls.
   
   We pretty much ate our way through Denver.
   Though I have no pictures of our delicious lunch at Mici, it was spent with another special friend, Stefanie, who is now expecting her first baby. I loved hearing how life has changed for her in the past two years. (She and Justin got married the weekend we moved to Charlotte.)
   
   The beauty of Colorado as seen from Cranmer Park.
   We spent several hours visiting with the Gibsons and the Bizerras who were kind to join together for a combined visit. Again, Katie and Amy are two gals who I feel so fortunate to have quickly bonded with during our time in Colorado. When we met, we each had one child; we now have TEN amongst the three of us! 
   
    The crew, minus the babies.
   On our final evening, Wendy and I snuck out after bedtime for dessert and a drinky-poo at Euclid Hall. {Those s'mores. Oh. My.} Once again, the time I spent just catching up with girlfriends made the entire trip worthwhile. From beginning to end, this was such a sweet time for Carter and me. Randomly, throughout the weekend, she'd say, 'I just can't believe we're here!' I mean, it was no Disney Cruise, but still...
4. Home Sweet HOME...my last post gave a little hint to this exciting event, but finally after seven years of renting and two years of searching for the right house for our family, on May 9 we closed on our new home.
   
   Moments before signing the papers.
   
   3025 Sharon Road
   Charlotte, North Carolina
   
   Turning the key.
   The weeks leading up to the closing were stressful for both Lindsay and me. He handled everything to get us into the house as far as the bankers, paperwork, loan, etc... while I agreed to handle everything that would need to be done once we were in the house. This meant arranging contractors, choosing paint colors, floor finishes, interior design details, etc... We proved to be a pretty good team, and when the actual moving day - Memorial Day weekend - finally came around, we were both an interesting mix of excited and exhausted. Before the moving truck was even unloaded, my oldest (in terms of years of friendship, not years on earth) friend, arrive on my doorstep motivated and willing to help get things unpacked and organized.
   
   Flowers for me. Chips and salsa for Lindsay.
   She knows us, and loves us, so well.
   (I'm planning to devote an entire post to all the fun aspects of our home/decorating, so I'll save all those pictures for later.) But this thing, this whole idea of owning a home, of having a place that is ours, walls within which we will raise our family, where we will laugh and cry together. The idea that we have bought something that will now be the external structure for the housing of our life feels a bit overwhelming at times. Something about renting for so many years had, unintentionally, kept me from really thinking about our family as being just that: A FAMILY. I suppose because I always knew that our house was temporary,  maybe it was hard to think of the idea of home as permeant? Whatever the reason, I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe that this is real. I love our house. I love our home. I love our family. And I love dreaming of all that is to come. 
5. The Maturation of the Murph...if you know my middle in real life or even through this blog, then you know she has come with challenges, and 'figuring her out' has often been on the top of my mom to-do list. In recent months, she's shown signs of maturity that have really exceeded any expectations I would have (but didn't) set. A perfect example came on the evening of April 3, when I went to tuck her in bed.
   
   Earlier that same day. 
   The day she'd turned three and a half.
   When I walked into her room, I found her under the covers wearing socks on her hands. While she does often have interesting choices for her sleeping attire, this still came as a surprise. When I asked what it was about, she said, 'Three and a halfs don't suck their thumbs. These socks will help me stop.' She had both come to this conclusion and thought of this solution all on her own. Now, did she stop sucking her thumb? No. But I loved that she gave it her very best three and a half year old effort.
   
   The next morning. No more sock mittens.
   Still wearing the swimsuit, tap shoes, necklace, and flower halo she'd sleep in.
   While quite comfortable in the little sister role in relation to Carter, she's easing in to the big sis role with Wright.
   
   Helping her along. Taking it slow.
   She loves being my helper and is quick to do things around the house without being asked. She'll put my shoes in the closet when I've (irresponsibly) left them out or clean up messes that Wrighty is constantly making. One morning, she overheard me talking about possibly going on a picnic and presented me with this:
   
   So proud of herself.
   She loves her puzzles and has finally taken an interest in letters and numbers. Actually, I think she's known them all along, she's just now wanting to let me in on her secret. I've also been impressed with (and surprised by!) her swimming skills; her underwater flip is Olympic caliber. (Slight exaggeration. Slight.) She and Carter are often mistaken for twins, which cracks me up, given that they are two and a half years apart in age, and continue to be the best of besties.
   
   The Murph is always camera ready.
   Yet, when Carter decides to put on her bossy pants, Miss Murph has no problem holding her own.
   
   Or, rather, just not giving a rat's behind, which only infuriate Carter even more.
   
   Sometimes they just need a little 'sitting and thinking' 
   to remember that they really do love each other.
   Murphy seems to captivate people. Teachers love her. Doctors love her. Others kids love her. Yet, she is often evasive towards others. She's an interesting girl, My Murph, and these past few months have been big for her.
   
   Kissing this face goodnight each night reminds me of why I wake up every morning.
6. Pictures of Perfection...life, folks, life is hard. I began this series three years ago as a way to stop and reflect on all the good things that comes in a life that is often times hard. The thing is, if I chose to, I could write a list much longer than this one of all the tough things that happened during the last few months. We had some rough times for sure. Notice there's little mention of our Itty Bitty? That's because she's found her voice, and by voice I mean the shrill voice that screams and tantrums for no reason at all for much of the day. Not much talk about my hubby? That's because he's been so slammed at work that he's barely even been able to enjoy our new home. And though I was able to see the good that came from all the sickness, weeks of unhealthy girlies sure can weigh a mommy down. Yet in the midst of the tough stuff, there are always moments, glimpses, pictures of perfection. Pictures that need no explanation. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I'm hoping that as life slows down, my blogging will pick back up. I miss it, that's for sure; but this was a good place to start. It's always, always good to reflect on and express gratitude for all that is good. 
   Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...
   James 1:17

The Sweetest Things, 2014, Q1

Unbelievably we're already three weeks into the second quarter of 2014. Along with each week's day to day madness, my mind has been spinning with spring events, a sixth birthday party extravaganza (despite my best efforts at having a not-so-extravaganza), and all things new house. I can think of few better things on this peaceful Easter afternoon, as I've slipped out during nap time, than to stop and reflect on all the good things that life has offered.
Please enjoy my reflections of The Sweetest Things of 2014, Q1,

1. Post-Holiday Purging...despite our best efforts at not spoiling or over-gifting during the holidays, our house was busting at its seams with stuff in the days that followed the Christmas season. A key difference in girl toys and boy toys, I've observed, is that a single boy toy tends to be just that: a single toy. Whereas, a single girl toy, say, a pony, consists of umpteen various pieces. {EXAMPLE: There's the pony. And then there's pony's pet bunny. The pony's food bowl. Her three apples. Her six hair bows. Her brush. Her saddle. Her comb. Her four slippers...} Therefore, the addition of a 'single' toy can, in fact, mean the addition of about twenty new items to our home.  So, as the trees and the stockings and the lights came down, I began the post-holiday purge. My first stop was our art closet where I tossed dried up markers and broken crayons and ripped coloring books and half done craft projects. 
   
   Another casualty?
   These 357 containers of Play-doh. Each one a lovely shade of brown.
   I moved on to the playroom where I collected bags of previously loved stuffed animals and tired-of toys. 
   
   Wrighty seemed a little freaked out by the pscyo 
   cleaning-like-a-mad-woman frenzy going on around her.
   Carter and Murphy were willing participants in the purge and understood that it's nice to pass on our toys to other children who aren't as fortunate as we are. 
   
   Some fruits of my labor all ready to donate.
   Once all my major purging was done, I moved on to do some serious deep cleaning as well. One thing that got a lot of attention were the girls' car seats. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I'd never actually cleaned these babies so thoroughly. But, when I singlehandedly transformed them from this...
   
   
   G-ross.
   to this...
   
   Looked brand new!
   I was as giddy as a little girl.
   Fewer things make me happier or give me a greater sense of accomplishment than this type of 'manual' labor. I've done a decent job since January of keeping the clutter under control and am now in the midst of a major pre-move spring-clean. 
2. Snow Days...winter in Charlotte this year has been, well, winter-y. I didn't realize how quickly I'd become accustomed to snow after living five years in Denver,  or how quickly I'd forgotten how snow is handled in the south. Life pretty much comes to a screeching halt at the first signs of any of the the white stuff. The first round of wintery weather that shut down schools looked like this.
   
   Even though there was more grass visible than snow, 
   the girls were still insistent on venturing out for a sledding adventure.
   The snow days that resulted from this 'storm' left me frazzled and itching for the kids to get back into their routine. Then, a couple weeks later, when a more serious storm was being forecasted, I decided to go into it ready.
   

   

    Snow day activities and meals. Check.

   As I was driving to pick up the big girls from their early dismissals on the Tuesday that would be the last day they'd attend school that week, my mom called and asked if Baby Wright would like to come and get snowed in at her house. Let's just say she didn't have to twist my arm for a YES! What a treat for the big girls and me! This generous offer left me even more excited about the days that laid ahead - especially the sledding. Sure enough, this second storm did produce a more legitimate punch.
   

   

   A beauty to behold.

   

   Spoiled my girls with room service for breakfast.

   

   Sweet snow bunnies.

   

   Nothing better than a bubble bath to warm up.

   I really did enjoy those days of being 'trapped' in the house with the girls. They played well together both inside and out, and I took a more relaxed approach to cooking without my little destructo at my ankles. We sipped hot cocoa - Mommy's with a splash a Smirnoff Marshmallow (YUM-MY) - and made Valentine's for their classmates. 

   

   Carter took her work quite seriously.

   

   Murphy was happy to pass the labor off to Mom.

   Throughout the week, we kept an air mattress inflated on the living room floor. The girls loved getting cozy to watch movies (Do you wanna build a snowman...) and snuggle. 

   

   BFFs.

   I would have NEVER thought that an unexpected week off from school would have been one of my favorite times of the year thus far, but it truly created some of the most special memories to date.
3. Mornings with the Munchkin...four mornings week, from 9:00-1:00, it's just my Wrighty and me, doing our thing. Much of that time is filled with household chores and laundry and errands, but I've been mindful to be sure to set aside time just for us. As she's my number three, I'm so SO aware of how quickly this time will pass, and I truly want to soak it all in. I try to drop whatever I'm doing anytime she tugs on my leg with a board book in hand.
   
   
   
   Books are kind of her thing.
   

   

   She loves them.

   

   A lot.

   (And, her face is always dirty because she does not, however, love spoons.)

   

   Also? Making messes from items that are not toys.

   That's her other thing.

   Over the past few months, I've spent many mornings sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor reading book after book to my sweet baby girl realizing that one day sooner than I'd like she won't want to snuggle with her mommy so much. Some mornings we venture out for breakfast dates together.

   

   My favorite chocolate croissant-sharing bear.

   

   She's just about the goofiest thing I've ever encountered, 

   and her toothy grin gets me every time. 

   

   Looking way too big.

   Once Murphy gets home followed by Carter a couple hours later, the whole dynamic of the house changes, and that's ok. But those mornings that just she and I share, those are ours. Those I treasure.
4. Carter's Character...these past few months have shown glimpses into the heart of my biggest girl that have made my heart smile. Big. She's continued to be a the best helper I could ask for whether it be with small household chores or with looking out for her little sisters. She's quick to run and offer hugs and love if either of them gets hurt or just needs attention, and no one can make her giggle the way that Murphy can.
   
   Sister tickles.
   

   

   The kid's a hugger.
   She has a soft spot for those who are hurting and was even upset by scenes of bullying in The Lego Movie. She's got a determined spirit that has lead her to mastery of both in and out of the classroom activities. She decided that my staying during her gymnastics class is a distraction and asked me to leave and only return when class is over. I love the maturity in her decision making - especially since all the moms stay, and she's the youngest gymnast in the class.
   

   

   Scrappy lil climber.

   Reached the tip-top in no time.
   

   

   Post-class candy store trip.

   My favorite example of the peek into my Pookie's character though has to be the incident of the underpants and the school bus. One afternoon after she got home from school, she told me that she needed to tell me something. It took her awhile to get it out, but she finally told me that she'd shown her underpants to some other girls on the school bus. She told me that three other girls did it, too, which I verified by having her describe their underpants. (Hey, at least she wasn't the only one.) I told her I was so proud of her for telling me the truth and that I'd like her to write three sentences about why she shouldn't do this again. Here is what she wrote.
   

   

   For those who don't speak kindergarten, it says:

   It is privacy. It's not funny. We're not supposed to.

   I'm sorry!!!

   I was so, so proud of her for telling me something that I would have never found out about any other way. She's always quick to tell me if she's done something naughty in the classroom, but in that case, there's a chance that the teacher could let me know. That's not the case with the bus. I loved that she told me and that she was then able to think through the reasons she should not repeat the behavior. 

   

   Carter Cottontail.

   She greets every day with enthusiasm and anxious anticipation, and for that I am grateful beyond words. She is my inspiration. 
5. The Pop Princess...while Carter lulls herself to sleep at night by singing praise songs at the top of her lungs, Murphy prefers to sing along to top 40 pop. From Pharrell's Happy and Get Lucky {which she sings 'Get Yucky'} to Rihanna's Monster, she knows them all, and she loves belting them out. She doesn't seem to recognize that there's a time and place for this music, though, as recently upon picking her up from her class at church, her observation was, 'Well, our teacher got her hair cut, and we didn't sing Wrecking Ball...' Good, Murphy, let's try to keep church a twerk-free zone. In February, I got Murphy's haircut into a precious little bob which everyone complimented and adored. 
   
   Everyone, that is, except Murphy.
   She was so distraught about her hair being cut short and not being 'princessy' that she resorted to wearing a wig. 
   
   'I'll wear this till my hair grows yonger.'
   
   She actually wore this wig to school.
   I don't know how or why, but Miss Murphy cares very much about appearance and has her own idea of what she thinks looks good. One week this may be three headbands worn at one time; the next it may be a princess dress with rain boots. 
   
   For many days, it was nearly every bracelet I own.
   She doesn't really play as typical children do but finds her greatest joy in putting random items into bags and carrying them around. 
   
   Also? 
   Perusing a Nordstom catalog while watching Frozen totally makes her afternoon.
   She puts on lipstick before going to bed and prefers sleeping with shoes on than without. And, lest it seem she is completely lacking depth, I should add that she is the most loving, affectionate child imaginable. She can seldom make in through a meal without needing to stand up and give me a hug and a kiss. 
   
   New partnering in crime.
   I know that she loves those who she loves (and they are few) with all her being. She loves deliberately, and she loves deeply.
   
   And so concludes The Sweetest Things of the First Quarter of 2014. I had an additional item which would have explored a bit of the grown up world Lindsay and I have been living. But I could not possibly end this list with a #6. So, I'll just tease with a picture and a title.
   
   Day Dreaming...