Picture Day

So the Molly Lou family, Molly Lou sister and her hubby, and Molly Lou Mom and Dad are going for a photo session this morning...think Vogue wardrobe department, hair and makeup teams, fans blowing my hair, and the perfect little children with their "acting coaches" ready to snap those perfect photos.

Right. And we snap back to reality.

We are using a really awesome photographer and going to a field, old train tracks, and a few other hot spots. The only bad part is that it is supposed to be a balmy 35 degrees when the flashes start going. I am excited about it, but have a few small items that I am praying for.

*I am praying Mr. doesn't smile like Chandler did in photographs on Friends. We have been practicing.

(For a man that has to be the center of attention pretty much all of the time, can make friends with a wall, and is always the "social chair" on any project he goes to manages to be camera shy at the worst times. We announced our engagement on The Today Show and he forgot his name when they asked him. Serious, 5 second pause before he could answer.)

*I am praying the Minis manage to smile, not fight, shed no tears, don't have a constant stream of nasal drainage, and manage to keep their clothes clean.

*I am praying that I can look as thin as possible...who knows how well this photographer can work her magic in the touch ups. I am also praying that my hair stays straight and as good as I can get it. That is a good thing about the CHILLY temperatures...there won't be 100% humidity.

*I am praying that my entire family can look as normal and blissfully happy as possible. What I truly mean is that the photographs can capture just how normal and blissfully happy we truly are as a family unit.

I just need a few good Christmas shots and we can call it a day. :)

Kidding...mostly. Fingers crossed.

Happy Saturday.

What have I gotten myself in to?

I often look at Mini #2 and wonder what in the world I have gotten myself in to. She is cute, she is funny, she can be sweet, she can be loving, and some days she even pretends to like me, but she can be a pistol. There really is no better word to describe her.

I often worry about what she will be like as a teenager and last night I had the full view of all that I have to look forward to. I immediately started praying and also left a message for my doctor to get me some good drugs ASAP.

Picture it:

Last night, I am cooking dinner and in the middle of playing Army men and also trying to ensure that Mini #2 doesn't draw on the furniture with the marker she is running around with.

Me: "Mini #2* come here, please."

Mini #2: I am going to play a little game with Mom. (blatantly ignores me. I KNOW she hears me.)

Me: "Mini #2, please come here."

Mini #2: I will really tick Mom off and continue to ignore her.

Me: "PLEASE COME HERE MINI #2!!!!!!!"

Mini #2: (slight eyeroll) "It's Princess Mini #2."

Are you kidding me???? She is two years old. What have I gotten myself in to???????

Happy Friday!

(And yes, she did in fact walk around Starbucks like this after she took off her dress. And yes, that is chocolate on her face and on the white turtleneck. She has an attitude and is a slob.)

Pink & Green Thursdays~I Heart New York

In about two weeks, I will be dancing around the Big Apple with my mom and sister for a few blissful days of fun. New York is my favorite place in the world, Mr. and I were engaged there and I just find the city to be magical. I am so excited about a few days with just my mom and sister...it will be the best birthday gift.

For this week's Pink and Green Thursday, fall in love with the city and get Frank Sinatra singing in the background...

Happy Thursday!

The Core

Often when you think of the word core, you think of the inedible center of a fruit such as an apple.

Lately, I have been thinking of my core. When you look up the 567 definitions of the word core, one of them is

core (noun): a basic, essential, or enduring part; the essential meaning; the inmost or most intimate part

Then, I saw in a magazine that I read it defined as

your inner self, including your temperament, life experiences, emotions, passions, and potential.

How fitting! I feel that I have lost part of my core recently. I know I have kind of "fell off the face of the Blogger earth" lately and how much I have missed it.

I have let life get in the way, I have let part of myself go. I took a job a few months ago, why I never really blogged about it, I'm not sure. When I took the job, there were some obstacles and I guess I was nervous on what I would be able to do. I am the director of a preschool now. The school is thriving and my children are happy there and learning so much. I do like it, but some days I am so completely overwhelmed with work, children, housework and chores, church responsibilities, Molly Lou Gifts shop duties, and the list goes on.

There are some days that I cry at the end of the day when Mini #2 won't go to sleep because I am so tired and I also have about 2356 things that I need to do before I can lay my head down.

When I decided to take this job, we were under the impression that Mr. was going to be able to come home and work out of the home office. That would be so great...we could be a family of 4 again every night, we could eat together, read books together before bedtime, play together, and share the nightly routines. There would be another set of hands each night to help bathe, read, play, cook dinner and clean up (his clean up hands have never been stellar, but there would be another set of hands to do something while I cleaned up at least.) That didn't happen and Mr. is on another project that he does enjoy now at the same site, but still away all week for another year.

I feel like as a mother, I immediately shared a part of my core with these two. I want to share my life experiences, passions, and emotions with them to help mold them in to the person that God intends for them to be. Somewhere in the process though, I think I forgot about my core and certainly forgot to grow that and foster my inner self. By doing so, I know I will be a better mom, wife, and friend.

Blogging is a passion because it allows me to be a part of this wonderful community of people that have entered my life for many reasons. I need this...this is an outlet for me and one of such great support and comfort.

You all help me cultivate my seed, my core for the rest of my life.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hope you all are having a "spooktacular" day filled with lots of treats!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Wordless Wednesday~Mad About Minis

Happy Birthday Mr.

Today my Mr. is a year older. The jury is still out on the whole year wiser bit, but he is confident is many years wiser today.

Don't you love this photo of he and the minis in his birthday gift. That's right folks, we now have a huge leather recliner in our home. I fought it as hard as I could. We had many marital "wars" over something like this invading our home, but in the end, I surrendered and he now triumphantly sits in his "throne."Also, I tried to get a good picture of the three of them all day in that beast of a chair. However, let's just say that it didn't work out. This is the best I could get...just look at Mini #1, he is certainly thrilled to be posing. This is at the end of the day, baths had, children and daddy tired (and a tad grumpy)...this is our life! And in true, Molly Lou household style, we had been celebrating this birthday for about 4 days, so we were "birthdayed" out.

He also received some handcrafted mini art: a painted frame, a painted fish on canvas, and birthday cards. The handpainted frame by both of the children included the sun, grass, and ME flying through the air. It was something to see!

Happy, Happy Birthday Mr. I love you more than you will ever know and look forward to all this next year has in store.