Happy 3rd Birthday!

As we approach the 3rd anniversary of the day our store opened, we can't help but to feel a little nostalgic.  Three and a half years ago, we thought we were going to build a business on our own little nursing covers.  Then we decided that selling other people's products might be more up our alley...since we don't actually sew or make patterns!! 

We went to SCORE workshops and visited showrooms in LA.  We had to beg them to sell to us since we didn't actually have a store yet.

Once we had a few sellable items, we started pitching a tent at the Scripps Ranch Farmer's Market.  Then the Del Sur Farmer's Market.  Every week.  And we hardly sold anything.  Ever.  It's hard to sell someone a $50 baby dress when they came to the market for an apple.

But we had faith, so we rented a little space in the Scripps Ranch Marketplace.  We ordered products and had them sent to our house.  They filled the dining room, and we spent night after night tagging them.  We knocked down store walls, installed our ugly, ugly slatwall (bad call!), and painted the store in our "beach" colors.  We even had our friend spend most of the night one night painting butterflies on the wall.  OK, we don't sew, and we don't "see" interior design very well either.

The night before we opened, we took all the inventory to the store and stayed up all night arranging our products in just the right way.  And finally, on October 9, 2010, at 10:00 am, we opened the doors for business. 

I'm not sure if anyone came that first day.  As a matter of fact, there have been a lot of days that nobody has come.  This has not been an easy journey by any means, but it's been a great one! 

Our family and our staff have endured cancer and divorce and new babies and college applications and good sales and poor sales and every emotion you can imagine as we've tried to juggle our personal lives against building this business.

We've met wonderful, supportive customers who praise and "spread the word" to the friends and neighbors.  We've met plenty of "negative Nellies" who cannot be pleased by anything.  And a lot of indifferent shoppers that we keep searching for the keys to their hearts.  Every one of them has helped us in our journey and taught us something about how to improve ourselves and our store.  Thank you for being our customer!

As we head into our fourth year at the Scripps Ranch location, we have a new name on the building, and new merchandisers that have helped the store look amazing!  We have fashion shows and fundraisers coming up, and we feel really excited about our future. 

We look forward to celebrating the experience of Baby Vie with our customers this week with a big sale, so come on in if you're a Frequent Buyer Club member!  You will receive 25% OFF your entire purchase from 10/7/13-10/12/13.

Thank you again for your support!!

women.

Women are so strong, compassionate, complex, capable.  We are mothers.  We are wives.  We are friends.  We are workers, artists, caregivers...For thousands of years, in every state and country and continent, women have shared common goals, roles, burdens, and joys.

I wonder where the world would be if women consistently supported each other and mentored each other...Not just when the teacher or the church or the tv camera are watching, but all the time. 

Too often, a spirit of competition dominates female relationships, and I wonder how all of our lives would improve if we chose to lift each other up, love each other, be there for each other instead of looking for ways to tear each other apart.  Imagine how our children would benefit and thrive if we helped each other raise babies.  What if we said "Can I help?"  or "Do you know what trick I use for that?"  or just said "You're doing a great job!  You're a great mom!" instead of raising eyebrows and comparing notes about when our children reached milestones, how much we spent on our nurseries, or what preschools our children were admitted to?!?

At Baby Vie, one of our fondest goals from the start has been to support other women and mothers.  We seek handmade goods like hand knit diaper covers and home made hair bows.  We stock handmade sock monkeys and handcrafted jewelry, onesies with hand cut appliques, and upcycled furniture.  Our walls are graced by the art of our local female "Artist of the Month," and we regularly host trunk shows for women starting their own businesses and open our store for classes taught by women who want to start modeling schools or health education courses.

 

These women are beautiful in their creativity and their strength as they balance businesses with the care of their little ones and sick parents and volunteer obligations.  Their products make our store unique and fun to shop in.  Their presence in the store makes our jobs more fun and interesting and rewarding.  They are truly our friends, and we hope we can promote and support them and many more new vendors in the future. 

If you recognize yourself in a "Mean Girls" character, maybe it's time to reconsider your female relationships...time to honor our womanhood and lift each other up without judgement or jealousy.  And if you need to take a break from your neighborhood "Mean Girls," come visit us at Baby Vie!  We can't wait to meet you!



Two of my new favorite quotes are in one great article.  Click HERE to read the Forbes article I love so much!
Quote #1:  “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”  --Madeleine Albright
Quote #2:  Isn’t it about time women stopped undermining each other and started thinking of other women as allies?
~ Lisa Quast

patience.

If kids teach you anything, it's patience.  See, kids do things that aren't socially acceptable.

And kids cry.

They get sick.

 

 

You can't give them back.  Most of us don't want to give them back, but there are those moments sometimes, like when you've been up for 36 hours straight because the baby has colic, or you get that phone call from the school, when you would like to send them back somewhere, anywhere, for just a little bit while you catch your breath...Yet here they stay for 18 years or 28, or in some cases, indefinitely, and we love them more than chocolate, more than money, more than our own lives....So we learn patience.  "Love is patient, love is kind" (1 Corinthians 13:4–8a)

Nine kids later, I'm still learning and still working every day and every night on being more patient.  Tonight, we missed open house at school because of the screaming and the napping and the ear infections and the chicken dinosaurs, and when I thought about writing this blog entry, the only word that kept coming into my head was "patience."

Now that it's after 10:00 at night, and the babies are still coming downstairs every 2 seconds and jumping up and down on the beds when they are upstairs, it's becoming a chant in my head "patience.  patience.  patience..." 

Moms and Dads and nannies and teachers and grandparents...Stay strong.  Stay patient.  They're worth it.  (And they'll pick your nursing home and maybe even clip your nails and change your diaper someday...Then they will mimic what they learned from you.  You will be hoping for a smile and a hug and a mantra pounding in their brain "patience, patience, patience...")

stories.

We all have a story to tell...something we hide, something we treasure.  Someone we love.  Someone we lost.  Now, Origami Owl offers a way to wear your story close to your heart with beautiful lockets holding interchangeable charms.

For under $50, you can build a beautiful necklace.  You choose your chain.  You choose your locket, and you choose your charms.  Buy a "mom" charm with crystals representing each of your children's birthdays.  Buy one for "nana."  The charms are only $5, so you can change the look of your locket regularly for very little expense.

The possibilities are endless!  You can SHOP ONLINE HERE!  You can host a home party...Just e-mail Susan Kramer-Swafford at sandiegolockets@gmail.com 

You can stop by Baby Vie Boutique's first trunk show on Wednesday 2/27/13 from 11:00 am-1:00 pm and receive a FREE charm with your first locket order.  We are hosting a second show on Saturday 3/2/13 from 11:00 am-1:00 pm. 

We have never been so excited to have the opportunity to share a product!!  We hope to see you at one of our trunk shows soon and have the chance to share with you in person!

spring.

Sunny.  Breezy.  Seventy degrees.  Fresh grass and tree blossoms. 

 

Hope.  Possibilities.  Love. 

 

 Leap.  Fly.  Try.
 

 

 Live.

inspired.

All moms have a story...a past, a present, and all the joys and heartaches in between.  All moms have had to be strong enough and brave enough to love, to teach, to comfort, to guide...Owning Baby Vie gives me a unique opportunity to meet a lot of moms, and I am continually fascinated by their stories, the way they love, the way they grow and change within their role as a mother.  They are all on a powerful journey, one that lasts a lifetime, one that takes courage and artistry and love...so much love... 

Sometimes, Baby Vie moms are artists and crafters, and I have the opportunity to share their art with my customers.  Most of my hair products are handmade by local mothers.  The ones above were created by Sarah of DawsyClair boutique while she also tended to a busy toddler.

My Three Sons is a local company owned and operated by Jenn, the mother of three sons.  One of them has Down's Syndrome...All of them have busy schedules that keep her hopping!  I don't know how she finds the time, but she creates some of our all time favorite products!

Dana Robinson is also the mother of three, and she designs and hand makes all of the gorgeous jewelry in her Dana Robinson Jewelry line.  I love this series with the hooks and links because they remind me of a mom and a dad (the hooks) with little links representing their babies.  Dana custom made mine with nine links...striking and one of my favorite pieces of daily wear jewelry.

Next Friday night, March 1st from 6:00-8:00 p.m.., Baby Vie is hosting a happy hour to introduce our March "Artist of the Month," Emily Burrough.  A local mom, she is also owner of Salvaged Surf Designs.  She saves surfboards, skateboards, snowboards, and other interesting items from the landfill and creates amazing mosaics on them.  Her art will be on display and for sale at the store for the entire month of March.  If you can, please welcome her to the store and enjoy a glass of wine with us on Friday March 1st.

We are so fortunate to know moms that inspire us daily, and we feel so grateful to be able to experience some of their art and share it with other customers and community members.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

dance.

In San Diego it happens rarely, but today was cold, windy, and wet.  Having discovered that sand in their toes brings smiles to their faces, we've been taking the kids to the beach lately.  When I woke up and saw the gloom, I knew our beach trip wasn't going to happen today, but 3 year old Dylan pulled his hood over his head and told me that we would put our shoes and socks on and pull our hoods up and go anyway!  It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

While I used to dance...even considered  trying it professionally at one point, it's been a LONG time since I've danced in public, much less in the rain!  Today's mission, find a new way to "dance." In our hearts.  In our nice dry house.

Let me be clear, I am the farthest thing from an artist you will ever meet.  I literally cannot even draw a stick figure.  But I am on a personal quest to insert beauty into my world and fun into our lives and head off to Michael's to buy art supplies.

I put a plastic tablecloth down and opened the box of paints and clay and paper and "blank" bobbleheads and glue, and the kids came running like moths to the light.  And they danced.

Each of their little lives will be imperfect.  Each of them will have successes and failures.  Sunny days and storms to survive.  I just hope they can remember that without the rain, there wouldn't be any rainbows, and sometimes, you've gotta' just put that hood up, face that rain, and do a little dance.

 This little number is called the "Sunshine Shift" by La Petite Couture, and the shipment of these dresses arrived at Baby Vie late this afternoon.  I choose to believe it was a friendly little reminder that every storm passes, and we will be seeing that sunshine soon.  Just keep dancing.  Just keep dancing.  Just keep dancing...

sand.

Our day started with Kensie smacking Mike in the face...hard...to wake him up.  It went downhill from there.  Screaming, crying, fighting, repeat...Again and again until my head was about to explode.  So I made them all get dressed, even the 12 year old who wants to do nothing but sit in a bathrobe reading a fantasy novel day in and day out, and I took them to the beach in Del Mar.

Kensie hasn't spent much time at the beach in her lifetime, and she wasn't sure what to think about the sand in her socks and sandals.

It didn't take long to lose a sandal...and the bad attitude.  Who can stay cranky with a diaper full of sand and the sun shining on their nose?

The kids "built" a sand playground complete with slides and chairs, and they want to know if we can go back tomorrow.  I think I'll order sand toys and bathing suits for the store sooner rather than later and make sure we keep those smiles coming. 

I really don't think there's any problem in the world you won't feel better about after spending some time with sand in your toes, sun in your eyes, and waves crashing in your ears.

treasures.

This "lucky mama" necklace by Beth Quinn Designs is one of my favorite products in Baby Vie right now.  Since I loved it so much, it became my Valentine's gift from my family.  For me, it's reminiscent of all the times I've hugged Dylie close and told him "I am such a lucky mom."  Or the sweet afternoons when I pick Jack up from kindergarten, and as he hugs his face into my knee, I say (and mean) "I'm so lucky to be your mom."  When I find things like this for the store, my sincerest hope is that they will make someone else light up with recognition of something that makes them happy.  A person.  A dream.  A memory.  A love.  Not just a necklace or a bracelet or a platter anymore, it becomes a symbol and a souvenir of happiness, and I love being a part of that journey and that joy.

Spend some time in Baby Vie when you have a chance...Spend time reading the inscriptions on the bracelet cuffs, sniff the candles, stroke the blankets.  Somewhere in the nooks and crannies, wooden crates and seagrass baskets, I hope you find a something you will treasure and enjoy as much as I love my necklace.

try.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day...A day to celebrate romantic love for most, but for our large family, it's also become an opportunity to celebrate family love.  Instead of my husband and I going out alone for a romantic dinner, we decorate the kitchen table, cook a "special" dinner, and dig up any dishes that have hearts on them to serve up that meal on.  Lately, our 6 year old, Jack has been grabbing cooking magazines off the racks every holiday season saying "We should try to make these Mom!"  As he helped me pick out Valentine's and boxes of chocolates, he spotted a Martha Stewart Living magazine with beautiful pink  heart cookies on the cover and said "Hey mom!"  We bought the magazine and all the ingredients we would need for these sweet desserts, and late yesterday afternoon, I headed to the kitchen to start preparing our family feast. 

Jack played in the living room.  "Jack, I'm starting the cookies.  Do you want to come help?"  Jack played.  I beat butter and sugar, rolled dough between sheets of parchment paper, chilled, rolled again, and finally hand cut the dough into hearts (because I had not been able to find heart shaped cookie cutters during my many hour frantic search through San Diego which consumed my entire morning).  Several times, I called out "Jack, do you want to help make these cookies?"  Jack played.

I forgot the pink cookies in the oven, and they burned.  The chocolate cookie recipe was dry, and I felt like I was trying to convince sand to become a malleable ball of cookie dough.  It was 8:30 before I was finally mixing the cookie filling (which was just frosting, and I could have bought that pre-made if I had realized!!).  Then, the moment of truth...I served the family the cookies that took me half a day to make for them.  And I will emphasize ME because except for the brief moment he came in to play with the roller, Jack did not have any interest in helping me make those cookies.

Nobody liked the cookies.  Including me.  They were hard.  They were burned.  The frosted filling was grainy, and the ingredients weren't nearly as tasty as Oreos or store bought sugar cookies.  Still clinging to the hope that baking will engage Jack and give me a little helper some day, I say "That's OK.  We can try new recipes for the next holiday."  Jack says "Yep.  But you don't have to wait to try new recipes.  We can try those any time we want."

It struck me...Jack thinks he's gifting me with an opportunity to cook for him.  To try new things.  He thinks I'm having fun, and he's suggesting that I have fun more often.  Why wait for the holidays to try new things?  Why wait until the next holiday to say "I love you?" or plan a special dinner or decorate the house? 

Sleepless night, busy days, juggling work with babies with romance with home repairs...The load a parent carries seems to get heavier and heavier as time goes on and children grow bigger and busier.  Faster than we imagine they will, the days of innocence fly by, and our precious babies who see possibilities and celebrations in every day grow into responsible adults like us.

Thank you Jack for reminding me to love and celebrate and try new things because I can.  Because the possibilities exist.  Not because the calendar says it's a holiday, but because I am alive and well and have the beautiful opportunity to raise amazing children.

give.

Somewhere in Escondido, there's a house called Hidden Valley House where victims of domestic and sexual violence can go when they flee their abuser.  Sometimes, they're alone.  Often, they have children in tow.  They may only own the clothing they're wearing, and their children may not have a clean diaper to change into.  They are safe.  They are brave.  They are in need.  In our neighborhood, there's an auxiliary that tries to help raise funds and supplies for the Hidden Valley House, and Baby Vie is a collection spot for donations. 

 

A couple days ago, the auxiliary representative came in to collect a box of donated baby and maternity clothes, and she mentioned that last week a very pregnant woman came into the house with nothing at all for herself or her baby.  At a time when most moms have the luxury of living in a safe home where they're putting the final touches on their nursery decor, this brave mother found herself in temporary housing with no clothes, no diaper bag, no diapers...And I cannot imagine that.  This lady I've never met would not leave my heart all week. 

 

I am one person.  One person of no significant wealth or fame or clout in the world.  I own a tiny store that hides in the corner of a small strip mall.  Most people don't even know we're there.  But I believe that I can make a difference in the world.  Can I change the whole world?  Who knows.  The odds are not in my favor.  I can change some things though, and I try often...try hard and try often to change some things.  Owning the store gives me a bigger voice and a larger audience than I would normally have, and I do use Baby Vie to raise money for childhood cancer research, to collect baby clothes for Gently Hugged, and to garner support and donations for Hidden Valley House. 

 

As we head into the holiday season, my heart aches knowing that people will continue to arrive in Hidden Valley House regardless of the date on the calendar.  Children will be poor and scared instead of wonder filled and spoiled on Christmas morning.  So during our Holiday Kickoff Happy Hour on Friday from 4:00-7:00 p.m., we will be collecting donations for the Hidden Valley House.  Every person who donates will receive a raffle ticket.  They can use that ticket to "bid" on the prize they want to win, and the raffle prizes are great!  Many local businesses like Yanni's Bistro, Brueggers Bagels, Ultralux and more have donated generously.  I hope our donors are generous and go home happy whether from raffle winnings, fun with Christmas carols, strong cocktails, or the joy of giving.  And I really hope that collectively, a group of smallish someones from a little corner store make a difference in the lives of the brave, scared, hopeful people who are relying on us and others like us to be there when they need us.   

 

I read a quote from E.B. White today:  "I get up every morning determined both to change the world and to have one hell of a good time.  Sometimes this makes planning the day difficult."  Let's make our Happy Hour a successful marriage between changing the world and having a hell of a good time!   

online.

I am beyond excited to announce that you may now shop for Baby Vie products ONLINE!!  You will even find many items in our "Baby Vie Online Boutique" that are exclusively online!!  Now, when you see something you like at Baby Vie, you can ask your aunt in Minnesota or your mom in New York to buy it for you!!  It's also a great way for you to choose great gifts for loved ones and have them shipped to them from the comfort of your sofa!  Go to our Facebook page HERE and check out the red "Shop Here" icon.  It takes you right to our store.  Or go to the Baby Vie Online Boutique by CLICKING HERE.

"bootiful?"

You've heard it a million times...or more.  Our society is overly focused on appearance and encourages young girls to appear emaciated and over sexualized.  You don't need to look any further than the Disney Channel or the magazines in your grocery check out aisle to see what the gold standard of beauty is in America...thin, tanned, and air brushed.  No girl who occurs in nature will ever look like that cover model, but our girls buy make up and hair products and fry their skin in tanning beds trying...And they continue to feel inadequate.  But this part of the story...the part where we blame our daughters' eating disorders on someone else or society at large...is not the whole story.

As an eating disorder survivor, I think I know a few things...
#1)  Eating disorders are not limited to girls.  Sometimes, boys have eating disorders and self esteem issues, too. 
#2)  Eating disorders and self esteem problems do come hand in hand. 
#3)  Eating disorders and self esteem issues are not caused by reading Cosmo in the check out aisle.  Our society's fascination with weight and appearance gives an already anxious child who feels badly about themselves something else to feel bad about and possibly gives them the idea to use weight loss as a tool help them gain control over a life that feels like it's spinning out of control or already feels like a sad, lonely disppointment.

There's some speculation about the exact causes of eating disorders, and sexual abuse is one of the life events believed to often be a prelude to eating disorders.  I'm sure many victims of eating disorders were sexually abused...and physically abused...and emotionally abused...and neglected...Something happens, or doesn't happen, in their very young years that makes them feel they are not good enough, not smart enough, not beautiful enough.

PLEASE celebrate your child...boy or girl...fat or thin...smart or dumb...gay or straight.  Find something in that child that makes your heart happy, that makes them special and unique, that makes you glad they are alive and in your life.  Then celebrate that.  Celebrate them.  Every day.  TELL your children, out loud, often, that they are beautiful to you...that they are strong...that they are your wonderful gift...that you are grateful for the miracle of their existence...that they are enough.  Don't stop telling them--ever.  Show them, too.  Hugs, kisses, smiles, photos.  Love.  Encouragement.   I am not a trained psychologist, but I truly believe that if a child is valued and loved and accepted just the way they are from the time they arrive on this earth, they will not have low self esteem.  They will not be highly susceptible to self destructive behavior including eating disorders, drug addictions, selecting abusive partners, or any of those wonderful things those of us with issues do.  I believe that a child who feels wonderful about what a fantastic person she is will not feel the urge to binge and purge just because the air brushed model on the cover of a magazine stares at her in the check out aisle. 

Unfortunately, even at this rather advance age, I spend way too much time running negative scripts in my head that say things like "I'm fat."  "I'm ugly."  "I don't know what I'm doing."  "I'm not as good as..."  Going to a cocktail party in a dress I felt terrible in the other night with a bunch of young, skinny, beautiful, well dressed women was a great opportunity for me to run those self depricating words through my heart and head over and over.  I felt truly awful about myself by the time I got home.  But then, my healers spoke...Who knew I would give birth to my biggest fans and best healers?  As I kissed 2 year old Dylan good night in bed, he told me "You bootiful mama."  Then 5 year old Jack, after realizing I came home with a raffle prize, asked me "Did you win your prize for being the prettiest girl there?"  As I basked in the glow of love and praise, I turned off the negative bitch who had been telling me all night that I was ugly and fat and not good enough.

Don't make your kids wait for their own kids to heal them.  Don't break them to begin with.  Love.  Praise.  Celebrate.  Don't ever let that negative bitch with her ugly scripts ever take up residence in your child!  Someday, you might realize that not only did you raise a confident, healthy child, but you also have a really great friend.   

hitting.

Ever since I witnessed something in Baby Vie yesterday, it's been weighing very heavily on my heart...Should I have said something?  Should I say something now?  What is my place?  How appropriate is it to assert my opinion and values?  Every parent wants, craves, and deserves autonomy in parenting.  Respect as a parent--from their child and from others.  Every single parent has a different heart, different priorities, different goals, different desires, different values...Even in the same family, no two parents are alike.  I respect our right as parents to be different from one another.  I respect other parents' prerogative to raise their children in the best way they see fit (within legal boundaries of course).

BUT...and isn't that where the most important statement is always made--after the but...I don't like hitting.  I especially don't like adults hitting children.  I know a lot of people believe that if you spare the rod you'll spoil the child and all that, but I don't like it. 

Yesterday, a mother brought her daughter, about 4 or 5 years old, to Story Time.  Presumably, the mother brought her daughter to have an enjoyable morning listening to stories and having some fun.  Trust me, I have seen some AWFUL children in my store.  Children come in who scream, throw, kick, break, run in and out the door...Not that my story would be made better by her bad behavior, but my story seems stranger because of her good behavior.  This little girl stood quietly by her mother...from what I could tell, not touching a thing or saying a word.  She must have done something the mother didn't like though because the mother whacked her across the back.   Not her bottom.  Not her hand.  Her back.  And looked at her like she couldn't stand her as she reprimanded for whatever happened.  The little girl continued standing there quietly while wringing her hands.  The mother smacked her hands and said something else hateful.  The girl stopped moving.

Hitting that stops short of being deemed abusive is legal in the USA.  CPS would not be interested in my story.  But it made my heart hurt.  It made my stomach turn.  It made me wonder how that child is treated when they're not in public.

Baby Vie is my store.  I don't like hitting.  I don't hit.  I especially don't hit children.  I cannot change your opinion about hitting or spanking or whatever you want to call corporal punishment of children.  You may agree with me;  you may not.  I don't wish to debate with you.  No words you will ever say to me will change the way I feel about this topic.  But since Baby Vie is mine, I get to make the rules there.  My official rule on hitting:  Do not hit anybody in Baby Vie.  If you disobey this rule, you are subject to scrutiny, comment and possibly removal from the store by myself and/or other members of the Baby Vie team.

To wrap up my rant, I would like to say that if you, as an adult, were to hit anybody other than your child, you could be brought up on assault and battery charges.  I would personally rather gain respect than fear.  Those children are not our property.  They are human beings who will choose our nursing homes someday.  Think your decisions through thoughtfully and lovingly.

one.

Little Miss is almost on her way!  She needs to trust herself.  She can walk on her own.  She just doesn't believe it yet, so for now, it's more than fine with me if she wants to stay close and hang on to mama.  Happy Birthday Kensie Rose!  You have no idea how glad I am that you came to share your life with us.  We're the luckiest family in the world!

**Baby Vie shoppers...Everything Kensie is wearing, right down to her "Birthday Girl" diaper cover, is from Baby Vie.  You only get to celebrate their first birthday once.  The right clothes make the celebration that much sweeter!

somebody.

There is no mysterious person named "Somebody" who is responsible for everything that needs fixing or paying for.  Somebody is you.  Somebody is me.  And the cooperative efforts and donations of many somebodies is what keeps the kids and their parents strong and hopeful at Rady Children's Hospital. 

As a family, we would like to thank all the somebodies who showed up and gave generously at the "Nick Gives Back" to Rady Children's Hospital fundraiser at Baby Vie today.  When somebody receives a toy to lift their spirits or a gas card to get them home from the hospital, they will be grateful that somebody cared enough to donate to a fundraiser like ours. 

"Be the change you want to see in the world."  --Mahatma Ghandi

 

good.

Jeff Marx is shaving his head today to raise funds for Rady Children's Hospital.  Click HERE to see the Be Brave and Shave fundraising page in Nick's honor

And these little ones are what kept me in bed a little late today...

tears.

Whether they sing or twirl or just stand there and stare out at the audience...Whether they do the steps perfectly or miss a cue...My kids make me cry with love and pride every time they step up to perform.

We almost forgot about the preschool Mother's Day program this year.  Jack and I skidded into a parking space and ran up to the picnic area as we realized all those moms were gathered in the yard for "Muffins for Moms."  He was able to line up and sing his songs to me.  I took this photo as he and his friend took turns pointing to us moms and saying "That's my mom!"  I hope he always says that with the same pride he has right now!

Last night, Krissy, being a big 5th grader this year, got to star in her school's Spring Sing.  She was so nervous about her solos and remembering her lines.  And she made me cry.  The whole thing made me cry...All those fresh spirits laying it all out for their audience, trying their hardest... missing notes on their recorders and forgetting the words to the songs yet keeping each of their parents' eyes and hearts wholly engaged and entranced by their performance. 

Thank you schools for giving us these performances...these moments really are some of the best rewards of parenthood.

dragons.

Do you remember when dragons were real?  I remember listening to Puff the Magic Dragon over and over and being SO sad for the poor left behind dragon...In 2 year old Dylan's world, dragons are very real.  Every night, he grabs 2 (foam) swords.  One for dad and one for Dylan.  Then they head outside to hunt dragons.  Of course, if there are any dragons out there, they would hear his Wee Squeek shoes from miles away, but that thought hasn't crept into Dylan's warrior brain yet.  I wish these innocent days never slipped away from us...

gifts.

Jack made me the most beautiful paper hat.  And he wrote a book for me about how the Three Muskateers (Jack, Nick, and Dylan) slayed dragons and other monsters to save the "beautiful princess," me!!

Nick.  He may have refused to help his father go shopping.  He may have slept through the breakfast preparations...But fought so hard all year, and he was here, with me, this Mother's Day.  That is such a precious gift.

Guess which little 10 month old learned how to squawk "mama!!  Maaaaa!!  Mama!!' today?  Thank you Kensie for that on Mother's Day!