Random Thoughts on Gracie's Day

Grace, you're a quarter-of-a-century today! 

We had plans to celebrate by taking a leisurely stroll around Target with Starbucks (in red holiday cups!) in hand, but one of my children who will go unnamed kind of ruined that by having the fit of the century and we didn't even make it into the store before I steered my offspring back into the van. Screaming kids + Target + juggling coffee + a toddler who is determined to throw himself from the cart + having to try to explain to a screaming kid that they cannot have chocolate milk today = cowardly, retreating me. 

I baked you a chocolate cake and hopefully it makes up for the disaster that was this morning. Also, Thai takeout - hello!

Remember celebrating your birthday as a kid? Little Caesars pizza, pre-Pinterest-box-mixed-cake-with-canned-icing, getting to pick out your favorite flavor of ice cream (you always, always, always picked chocolate) and Polly Pockets?  I just got all nostalgic thinking about those Polly Pockets and how much you loved them. Have you seen today's Polly Pockets? They are so uncool compared to the 90's version. 

I'm glad we fight less and laugh more now in our 20s, and am so thankful for the patient, loving example you are to Olive, Silas (and me too.) Thanks for always being the best and most long-suffering of friends to me, and for putting up with my bossiness all these years. We all think you're the bee's knees and are happy to celebrate today with you!

Happy birthday Gracie - we love you! xoxo

Dear Becca...

...Thanks for driving so many miles and so many hours (all by yourself you brave thing, you,) to come visit my family and me! You have always been such a sweet, giving friend. You really cheered my soul!

Also thanks for letting us drag you around town and wear you out, and for making us delicious gluten free scones, and for so patiently listening to my kids chatter and for doing the best you could to answer all of Olive's 10 million and one questions. I'm so glad we got this time to catch up, go shopping, play with watercolors, and eat together.

Come back soooon! xox

Dear Holly...

...I miss you bunches.

I keep thinking of things I wish we had been able to do while you were here - places we didn't have time to get to. I guess that means you'll just have to come back. :)

My favorite part of your visit was our little trip to Laketown Beach, just you and me. It was stormy, and the wind was chilly, but the water was freakishly warm. Still not sure what was going on there, but it was a nice, funny surprise. Thanks for climbing all those stairs with me! And for indulging me by getting up on that wet log so I could take your picture. You're so, so very beautiful - inside and out. I'm so proud and happy that I get to call you my sister.

I love that we can just take a walk together and be quiet together, and it doesn't feel uncomfortable or awkward. It feels nice just to be together. We're a lot alike I think. We need the quiet times, those alone times just as vitally as we need water, food and sleep. I love that we like the same weird music and trends. I love your sense of humor and listening to the hilarious stories about your cray-zay Starbucks customers. 

And speaking of hilarious, you always find the BEST stuff on Youtube. Thanks for introducing us to LAHWF. I am hooked.

Come back soon!

Love, Jacqueline xoxo

Some June Pictures and a Letter

^^ Olive in a beautiful new dress from her Grandma in WV ^^

^^ Silas loves our vacuum cleaner. Especially that cord retractor thingy. ^^

Dear Fetus,

You are such a weird baby already. Like, WTH is up with all this nausea? And hunger? It's bad enough waking me up in the middle of the night to pee already, but forcing me out of bed at 4:30a.m. to make a sandwich is just cruel. And when you get hungry, there is NO time to dawdle, or you send me straight to the porcelain throne. And that is just no fun.

You should have seen your daddy's face when you forced me to ask him to grill me some burgers and brats. Ha! Mommy has always, always hated even the smell of brats, but YOU obviously have the appetite of a hairy chested, blue collared man and have turned me into someone I don't even recognize.

Oh, and you should have seen mommy's face when our doctor told me I had LOST a couple of pounds at our last appointment. I told that doctor there must be a mistake because I have been eating more the last couple of months than I think I have eaten in my entire life. (Like that week where all we ate was Dominoes gluten free/no cheese pizza? And how about how we make daddy pick us up a muffin and a cookie  from Lemonjellos at least twice a week?) So the doctor said, "Well maybe you been more active lately?" And oh how mommy laughed, because when we're not stuffing our face, we are CRASHED on the couch snoring (or watching Law and Order SVU,) aren't we baby? Mommy has not even looked at the treadmill since April. But thanks, you know, for using up all that food and not letting it go to mommy's thighs (yet.)

But, whenever you want to stop making me break out in acne like it's 1999 again, you know, that would be pretty awesome.

Love, your hungry-again-already Mother xox

Dear Coolest Baby Sister

dear holly,

sometimes i doubt that we're related because, well, you are like 150 times cooler than me.

i loved what you wrote about your political thoughts on your blog. when you speak your mind so boldly and clearly like that i just step back and am like "geesh, she is so smart. and cool." and then i feel kind of old.

thank you so much for the autumn mix cd you sent me in the mail, (and the cute card!) your mixes are the best. seriously, where do you hear about these cool artists? i am working on a mix to send you, but i'm sad because i know it will not be as cool as the one you sent me. i'm afraid there may even be some rihanna on it. because i'm kind of into rihanna right now, ok?

anyway, i miss you - all the time. make a delicious peppermint mocha, you cute little barista, you, and drink it for me (because i'm trying to not eat/drink sugar right now and i hurt a little inside every time i walk by those big delicious looking posters of the holiday drinks at target's starbucks.)

love you forever + a day! xox