Better late than never

Well, I thought Colette was a late crawler. I'm already forgetting the age, but I think she was around ten months. Maelyn though, you were almost 11 months! Your dad and I knew you would crawl eventually but you took your sweet time getting there. At a whopping 22 lbs by 8 months we didn't think you would be fast to moving. As you began attempting to crawl over the past few weeks, we decided that your butt was so big it was getting in your way! Finally, you're crawling and you are just so proud of yourself. You're getting fast too. We are so proud of you little girl! Now, if only we could get you to stop biting us...

Welcome Summer

Yes, I know I use this phrase all the time, and I don't mean to overdo it, but I don't know a better way to describe it, summer is such a gift! What a joy it is to have a yard this year. I love going outside and feeling the warm sun's rays on my face, seeing the rays beat down on everything around me, and looking at the clear blue sky. But most of all I love watching you little girls soaking it all in. Whether it be giggling at a newly discovered toad in the backyard, doing sidewalk chalk together (or eating it Maelyn!), running up and down the hill, or letting mom pull you both in the wagon-summer is providing us with so many gifts.

Thank you Pinterest

Pinterest is wonderful, but I've recently given up all hope that you'll ever be interested in any of the things it has to offer, Colette and Mae Mae. I've spent so much time crafting little ideas for you that you've thrown to the side, however today I quickly whipped up this yogurt paint and it was great to see the two of you playing with it so well together.

Happy Father's Day!

Little book worm

Colette, you sweet little thing. You have your mommy's love for reading and I love it. Your daddy started reading to you when you were still in my belly. I remember having you "give him a gift" when you were still inside me, a book called: "Eco babies wear green". At just a few months ago, you would eagerly stare at the pages of all the board books we read to you. Your favorite book was "Good Night Gorilla". Oh we read that book over and over. Now that you have just turned two you are part of the Brighton Library's summer reading program. I am so excited for you as I have the fondest memories of participating in the summer reading programs at the JFK library growing up! Each week you get to pick out a lightly used book as long as you've read everyday (or had me read to you). However, lately you will not let me read to you. You have to read to yourself. Those have been some of the most endearing moments these past few weeks; your dad and I discovering you sitting on the floor in the corner of your playroom reading to yourself. A recent favorite book of yours is "Its a little book". I hear you reading it to yourself, each page appropriately saying "nooooooooooo". Ah you're too cute to handle dearest!

Put yourself in the way of beauty

Wild-a movie I could've easily lived without seeing. The secular culture's version of a "deep, moving, down to earth film" was to me a depressing, disturbing and not quite resolved one but I got one thing from it- Reese Witherspoon's character saying that line that her mom had said; "Every day there is a sunrise and a sunset, put yourself in the way of beauty". In my scattered moments of melancholy that arise in my day to day life, it is words such as these that move me. After a twelve hour shift all night, seeing the sunrise reminds me that there is more than me, than this world. Pure Gift those moments, pure gift.

Bad Mom!

Well ladies, I'm a bad mom. I break the rules. Here you are enjoying a little "Daniel Tiger" on a Saturday afternoon. Should I have let you? Probably not. Do I let you watch TV often? NO, not in the least. But does mom need a little break every once in a while? YES. I love you little cuties so much and honestly it brings me so much joy to break the rules for you because I get to watch the looks on your tiny faces when I do. What a gift to see that you realize it is a "treat". What a blessing it is that I can provide little things to make you happy. Thank you for being excited for your "treats", I hope I raise you to always be grateful for the little things.

Dear daughters, I'm sorry.

Dearest Colette and Sweet Maelyn, This past Friday something happened. Gay marriage was legalized throughout our nation. While the world tells us this is good and normal, I am here to tell you that it is not. And that I am sorry. I am sorry that you are going to grow up in a world that confuses you. You are going to live in a world where it is near impossible to discern what is true, or even if there is truth. But there is. This world is not a bad place, there is a lot of darkness, but there are also pockets of light and I hope you find them. I wish life were simple. I wish there were just men loving women and women loving men, but this place is not as black and white as we would like it to be. With the addition of the LGBT population we meet a mountain of confusion. On top of that is the reality of the brokenness of so many relationships, whether between a man and a woman or not-divorce, abuse, neglect, poverty, addiction. There are so many other things that can get lost in those larger issues-complacency, lack of communication between spouses, self-absorption, laziness, selfishness, greed, not saying "I love you" to name a few. I don't want to tell you how to think. I want to teach you how to think for yourselves-to be able to see truth. I don't know how I'm going to do that yet, and I know that you are already learning so much from me that I better figure it out soon. But my sweet girls, I pray that you know truth. I'm sorry that this world doesn't. Know truth. It exists. And it is good.