Disney on Ice Rocks

It can't get much better than this: holding Lizzy on my lap, in her big puffy princess dress, watching her face light up at the show. Lizzy said, "It's wonderful to have a special day!" I couldn't have put it better myself.

The Best Part of Church...

is the donuts (at least for Lizzy and Peter)! Lizzy and Peter LOVE to run to the donut room after church and grab a treat. Lizzy always picks a "pretty" donut, and today was the best one yet- chocolate frosting with pink sprinkles and red hearts! Perfect=) Peter always has a donut hole- yum! The message today was so nice: Let your "light" shine. Lizzy was so generous at church, sharing her stickers with friends, sharing the last of her donut with Peter, she really let her light shine. Her big, contagious smile certainly made my heart feel warm and fuzzy=) And I was reminded of the constant ebb and flow of parenting. After a really rough day yesterday with lots of tantrums, today couldn't be more lovely. It's true what Lizzy says (from her papa's wise words) "today's a new day. You can always try again." So true, and I'm glad to have another chance to let my light shine.

Next Stop...Donuts!

Today Brian suggested a really fun outing. We took the kids on the CalTrain up to the Burlingame station, then hit a donut shop and the park. The kids were so excited to ride on the train! As soon as they boarded, the four big kids walked right up to the top level, and found perfect seats. They loved looking out the window and seeing "the world" (according to Lizzy) pass by. Lizzy loved handing her ticket to the conductor, and Peter loved sitting on his daddy's lap, taking it all in.

Special Friends

My kids are so lucky to have such special friends that live right around the corner from them!

The mommies and daddies have been friends for 15-20 years(!), and we feel so lucky that our children now are friends with one another. The "big" kids love to play together, and the "little" boys are working very hard to find their place in the crowd.

Ducks and Bridges

We had a few minutes before Lizzy's soccer class to race around and explore the park. It's a windy, cloudy day today, very ominous with clouds rolling in, but the rain spared us, and it made it exciting to be outside exploring. Lizzy loved running over the footbridge, and found a relaxing spot to lean back and take it all in. Peter loved the rocky path, and all the "du" (ducks) that were swimming nearby.

Painting Together

Lizzy wanted to watercolor this morning. I always love her pictures, because she rarely paints "real" things, but prefers to use and blend all the colors in small swatches on her paper. She came in the house and asked me to help her. Of course, a few minutes later, Peter came running down the hall and into the garage to find out what we were up to. Lizzy said, "Peter, you can help too. Here's a brush for you!" Peter was very excited (look at his face) and joined right in. Their giggling and "teamwork" made me smile=)

Come Color With Me

Almost every day, Lizzy will declare that she wants to color a picture. She'll head to her art closet, grab the necessary supplies, and plant herself at the table, ready to create. As soon as Peter hears the rattle of the crayon box, he runs to the art closet, gets a book for himself, and immediately vies for a spot at the table in close proximity to his sister, and easy grabbing distance of the supplies. Lizzy is simultaneously unbelievably tolerant of his manhandling of her books and crayons, and ignorant of his admiration.

The Small Moments

All my life I've wanted to be a mother, and I truly feel like I am living my dreams by being a wife to my wonderful husband, and mother to my two precious children. In my "previous life," I was many things to many people: daughter, sister, friend, teacher, team-mate, partner-in-crime. I still retain the shadow of all of those things, feel the echo of all those different parts that paved my path to become the woman I am today, and of course there are many facets of my heart that I'm still discovering. But I'm so thankful that I've been given a gift beyond measure: sharing my journey with the three people who love me and know me the best!

In our family I wear many hats. There is much day-to-day drudgery that comes with taking care of a family. I do the shopping, make the meals, clean the house, fold the laundry and maintain the "house." I'm also responsible for correspondence with friends and family- remembering birthdays, buying presents, making holidays "festive." And, of course, I manage all school "stuff." Dropping off, picking up, volunteering in class, and communicating with teachers all fall under my domain. So the way I see it, I'm part custodian, part secretary, and part manger, carefully trying to balance all three (sometimes skillfully, sometimes disasterously). What's my husband doing during all this, you may wonder? He's out working himself to the bone, making it all possible. He "brings home the bacon," gracefully, with a smile on his face, never a complaint, and then jumps into the family fray the moment he comes home to be "daddy."

But my favorite "duty," what makes everything worthwhile, and each day joyous (even the tough days), is that I get to bear witness to the lives of my children and husband. I get to be present, in the moment, seeing the beauty in the day to day. All those "little" things, the seemingly unimportant details that make up a day, are the most precious of moments to me. They pass quickly, you may not even notice them if you're not careful, but all around you are the details, the fibers, the heart of what makes a family (a husband, a wife, a daughter, a son) so miraculously special.

At the end of the day, my prayer of thanks is that I was here today. What these children and this man did, it mattered to me. I hope I can record some of our moments here, so one day, our children will remember how truly treasured they were, and how we never took lightly their company, their ideas, and their spirits.