SATURDAY

Dear Maizy,

I just LOVE our weekends.  We always have so much fun.  We slept in a little then headed to Alice's for brunch, it was delish as always!

After breakfast we went on an adventure! Please know that I am a total slacker and this adventure took place on Saturday October 20, 2012.

We went to Pack's Pumpkin Patch in Farmington - the same place that we stumbled upon a year ago.  It was a beautiful day for pumpkin picking!  You were dirty almost instantly!!  you had a blast walking around the field, checking out all the pumpkins and trying to pick them up and carry them "heavy Mom, this one is heavy!"

We ended up getting 5 pumpkins.  Your dad is quite the pumpkin carver and plus we like to roast the seeds and eat them!  YUM!

After we got home and got all cleaned up and got you a nap we got ready for our first Halloween party of the season.  We are saving your angel/princess costume for Halloween, so we dressed you up in your pirate costume.  Too dang cute!!!

                       I can't get enough of your face or you shouting                       "HAPPY HALLOWEEN MOM!!"

I am loving this time of year with you.  Thanks for being so darling and fun!

I love you!

Love,

mommy

RIP Bear

Dear Maizy,

I had it all planned to take the time to catch up on your blog today because Lord knows how behind I am.

This morning I called Grandma Shelly to talk about our evenings last night.  She informed me that Grandpa Glen's best friend, Bear, had passed away.  Grandpa and Bear were the best of friends.  Grandpa had been going over to Bear's house every evening to give him his meds giving Bear's wife Connie time to do other things she needed to catchup on. 

Bear was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer just this summer and by then it was too late to start treatment, but instead do what they could to make his short life more comfortable. 

Not enough good things can be said about Bear.  He had a contagious laugh, was handsome, always happy, a good worker, smart and just all around a great person.  I have known Bear since I was seven years old and for Grandpa Glen even longer.

Bear adored you.  He always commented on your beauty.  You and Grandma Shelly went over to his house last week to visit him and he and his wife loved every minute of the visit.  While there Connie and Bear showered you with treats and your fave - Popsicles.  We were actually supposed to go spend Halloween evening with them tomorrow night.  My heart breaks that is no longer going to happen.  I would have loved to have seen Bear one last time and give him a hug and have him see you.  He was really looking forward to our visit.  Bear gave it all that he could and he fought a tremendous fight and always remained positive.  Even when Connie would break down it was Bear that lifted her spirits and reassured her that everything would be ok.

Life is too short and it's so true that "the good die young".  Unfortunately it's instances like this where you lose someone so great that you realize how great, wonderful, precious and short life really is.  You feel this way for a few days then it's back to the same old grind and we forget - not about the people, but how precious and what a gift life really is. 

I love my life and some days I forget how lucky I really am.  I always know I am lucky to have you as my daughter and that is the best gift of all, but I still have both my parents, a wonderful and loving partner, a great job, my health, a nice home and have not experienced any great loss.

I feel for Connie.  I can't express in words how much I feel for her. I can't stop sobbing today since hearing the news. I just feel so much sympathy for Grandpa Glen, Connie and their two children and all the many great friends and family that Bear and Connie have. 

Well my dear, sweet girl!  I wish we lived in a perfect world, but we don't so we need to make the best of it, hold those that we love close to us, tell each other how much we love and care for each other at every given chance and especially show it towards one another. 

Bear will always have a special place in my heart. 

RIP Bear!

I love you Maizy!

Love,
mom

Friday

Dear Maizy,

I feel like the month of October has been just as crazy as some of our summer months.  I have totally slacked on writing!

I am going to try and catch us up and FAST!

Me bored at work on a Friday wishing I was with you!!

You when I picked you up!  You make my day!

Aunt Britt and I took a wine and cheese tasting class that also served up some of the best beef I have had in my life!  That is something that I don't say very often.

Then after the wine class we met a few friends and went out, it was ok, but not worth being away from you and dad for.



You and dad were on your way home from Grandma Annette's just in time to pick me up downtown from my adventure.  I sure missed you guys!

I hope that you always take the time to hang out with good friends, laugh, drink and enjoy a fine wine when you are of age of course and if it's something you enjoy in moderation.  I hope that you find pleasure in trying new things, new experiences and creating great memories.  You can't ever stop exploring and trying new things for yourself.  Do what makes you happy!

I love you!

Love,
mommy

Life According to my iPhone

Dear Maizy,

Life has been super fun, crazy, busy and well just pretty much crazy-busy.

Also another highlight is Aunt Brittany is in town.  Woo hoo!! We haven't seen as much of her as I would like. 

Grandma Shelly took  us all to dinner at Bohemian Brewery the Friday that Britt arrived which was a lot of fun.  You were very entertaining. 

See......................................

Last week while Grandma Annette and the rest of the fam were out of town we stayed at their house, it was a lot of fun!  Grandma's house is all nice and new, it was almost like a mini vacation for us too. You had a great time there.  We were all kind of sad when they got home but it was bittersweet because we were happy to be in your own beds and you were happy to  play with your own toys.  But while we stayed at gma's we made some really yummy dinners, had dance parties and you brought Sienna's horse downstairs - you loved that horse!

See.........................................

You were also really into giving us, the horse, dolls and even pics of the fam "check-ups!"

I'd be lying if I didn't say I would love it if you were a doctor when you're all grown-up.  I know you'd be a fabulous one!  Just look at ya!!

You have the most contagious laugh and smile and I just can't get enough of that nose of yours.

Thanks for being such a rockstar!

I love you!

Love,
mommy

Dr. Phil

Dear Maizy,

I was reading another blog and she said that she heard from Dr. Phil  the most powerful role model in a child's life is the same gender parent.

Um, that's me.  Yikes!

This is not rocket science of course, but it was a great reminder that I need to be the best role model I can be.  Am I the best?  No, not yet, but I want to be.  You make me want to be a better person and that is a good start right there. I can teach you the best I know how.  You can learn from my mistakes and life experiences, but there are things you are still going to do on your own regardless of what I say.  My parents used to lecture/talk to me and I thought they were so lame and didn't know a thing.  I was wrong and right.  They knew stuff, but being parents they didn't know a lot about.  My parents were kids thenselves when they had me.  That's neither here nor there right now, but something I will talk about another day.

Here are the things I so badly want for you:

To have the know how to make the best decisions for you and only you.

To be confident.

To always stand up for yourself.

To know that you are going to college and won't stop until you have your degree. 

To know that your peers in high school aren't important and definitely won't be later in life.  You are what's important.

To know that you are SO beautiful inside and out.  Seriously!

To know that boys don't matter and really won't matter until they are men - with college degrees, are productive members of society, have a fabulous paying job and don't live with their parents.  Until they have all of these tihngs they don't deserve your time. 

To know that I am on your side and want the best for you.

To have self esteem and great self esteem for that matter.

To know the sky is the limit in what you can do with your life.

To know that you can never learn too much.

To know that I love and care for you more than anything or anyone in the world.

I love you!!

Love,
mom

What to write about??

Dear Maizy,

I haven't written in a while even though I think about it on a daily basis.  I have SO much to tell you!  I don't even know where to begin on what to talk about. 

Maybe I could write about how you threw your first major temper tantrum out in public on Saturday at Target.  Yep, you were "that kid!"  I was glad your father was there to witness it.

Or maybe I could write about the fact that you hit me in the face at Target. Yep, you hit right in the face, while I had my glasses on.  Ouch!  I was embarrassed and hurt, but something came over me even as the man walking by gave me a "sorry your kid's a brat" face.  I felt sympathy for you.  I felt bad that you couldn't communicate to me how you were feeling, so I decided to give us a time out and go look at the funny cards of animals wearing human clothes and accessories.  We were laughing and you felt better.  Regardless I think we need to take a break from Target for a while.

Or maybe how you melted mine and your dad's heart later that same evening when we were all in the kitchen making dinner and you said "I love you guys!"  

Or how you said to me one night "I'm happy to see you!"  Awe!!

Or how you walk around with a play stethoscope and say "check-up" and put the thing up to our hearts, the stuffed animals and even pictures of family we have a around to check their hearts.

Or how your big heart, smart brain, beautiful face, shiny hair, contagious laugh, healthy and strong little body, sweet and not so sweet words, glittery eyes, wiggly toes and arms that give the best hugs put me in awe and even shock most days that you are mine.  You are my daughter!

Or that you now speak your mind.  "Don't touch me!"  When I just want to hug or cuddle you. 

Or that you are SO freakin' smart, it's unbelievable.  The information you retain blows my mind!!

Or that when you jump on the trampoline at Grandma Annette's house you singing "ashes, ashes, we all fall down!"  One of the most adorable things you can witness.

Or that you like to dress yourself and play dress up and it's super entertaining.

Or how you are super, super smart! 

Or how much you are loved.  Truly loved.

Or how much I worry for you in this scary, freaky, world in which we live.

See I have a lot I need/could/want to write about.

Thank you for being such an amazing little girl.

I LOVE YOU!!

Love,
mommy


 

Camera Phone Fun!

Dear Maizy,

Daddy has been working nights so it has been just you and me kiddo!  Although we both miss daddy we have been coping by cuddling, doing puzzles, watching Dora or Diego, and playing with the camera on my phone.

See.....................................

Who knew that watching Diego for the 100th time could still be SO intense!?!
I LOVE your freakin' face!

I seriously can't get enough of your face.  You are such a good sport - most of the time - when all I want to do is kiss your face repeatedly.  You are such a good girl too. You have been so good for me at nights with daddy gone and have been going to bed like a champ!  and actually staying asleep all night.  If anything my little friend you make my life the easiest and best it's ever been!  I don't question what I should be doing with my self - being your awesome mom is what!?!  I am never, ever bored!  You make me work hard and play even harder! You make me appreciate the little things in life, let stupid shit just roll off my back and have made me more patient than I could have ever imagined.  I can't thank you enough for, well, just being you!!

Love you!!

Love,

mom