love.

this is pure happiness.

power of two.

mom is breathing in eurpoean air.

i miss her already.
i've listened to our song a hundred times already.

i have a feeling i will share this song with my daughter&hopefully we'll sing along..

[power of two-indigo girls]

now the parking lot is empty.

everyone's gone someplace.

i pick you up&in the trunk i've packed

a cooler&a two day suitcase.

cause there's place we like to drive

way out in the country.

five miles out of the city limit we're singing

and your hand's upon my leg.

so we're okay, we're fine.

baby i'm here to stop your crying.

chase all the ghost from your head

i'm stronger than a monster beneath your bed.

i'm smarter than the tricks played on your heart.

we'll look at them together

then we'll take them apart.

adding up the total of a love that's true.

multiply life by the power of two.

you know the things i'm afraid of.

i'm not afraid to tell.

and if we ever leave a legacy

it's that we loved each other well.

cause i've seen the shadows of so many people

trying on the treasures of youth.

but a road that's fancy and fast ends in a fatal crash

and i'm glad we got off to tell you the truth.

all the shiny little trinkets of temptation

something new instead of something old.

all you gotta do is scratch beneath the surface

and it's fool's gold.

make new friends but

keep the old.

but remember

what is gold.

so we're ok, we're fine.

baby i'm here to stop your crying.

chase all the ghost from your head.

i'm stronger than a monster beneath your bed.

i'm smarter than the tricks played on your heart.

we'll look at them together

then we'll take them apart.

adding up the total of a love that's true.

multiply life by the power of two.

all i need is..

..scary kiddie rides in racecars just to hear him laugh.

..dancing to apple bottom jeans just to hear her laugh.

 

grateful.

this weekend i was grateful..

..for getting to spend time with 2 great boys.

{1. nugget

2. puts a smile on my face.}

..for not fighting with my mom all weekend.

..for friends that giggled with me about #2.

..for major bonding with my sister.

..for my parents meeting #2 & for meeting his.

..for winning nemo at the fair for nugget.

..for having a new found respect for college dropouts.

..for amazing conversations in the rain.

..for friends that told me a hundred times over they're happy for me

&called a hundred times over to ask me every detail.

..for finding this picture that i will forever see as molly&me..

..for sharing a turkey leg with baby nugget.

..for finding my real smile that's been missing for years.

cupcake.

i missed the lsu game because the baby nugget turned 1.

of course it was my duty to plan/decorate/slave over the party.

it turned out quite well.

thank you very much.

i found my calling.

this would be #78 on the "things i want to be when i grow up" list.

enjoy.

and why yes.. i made those cupcake stands.

proof simple things aren't so simple for a 3 year old.

this is my nephew phillip. or, as he refers to himself, minip.

he is weird. he is strange. he is a nerd.

i can say these things about him because i too, am all of the above.

not too long ago we were having a very mature discussion about transformers+princesses.

this is how the conversation went:

S: what do you like better - cars, transformers, or spiderman?

P: umm... [furrowing his brow+contemplating real hard] SRANSFORMERRRS!!

S: oh me too. they're my favorite.

P: nu uh. yous a gurl! yous a PWINCESS.

 {{now, most girls enjoy being called a pwincess. however, this girl DOES NOT. i put on my feminist panties and soaked this lesson for all it was worth.}}

S: phillip, girls can like transformers too, and boys can like princesses. just because you or daddy or b plays with one thing doesn't mean me or ellyn or mommy or grin can't play with it too.

P: nu uh. yous a guuuurrrrll.

{{at this point i know one of us is going down and his argument just ain't cuttin it. plus i'm not losing to a 3 year old.}}

S: [giving him "the look" he already knows means back down.]

P: ooohhhhhhkay. but jus yous can wike sransformers.

my heart.

phillip.

life is tricky and it can be downright messy. so i decided to embark on a new challenge.

 here are tips+things i love+promises for you.

don't worry, i have a lifetime to complete it.

+i will never get tired of holding you.

+you will never be too big for the spanking spoon.

+your summer buzz cut.

+one day you will learn the right words to "head and shoulders" but right now your version: "head and shoulders in the back" is way too awesome to correct.

+i am your biggest fan.

+don't share your sugar with too many girls.
+don't share "i love you" with too many girls.
+however, you can always shower me with sugar and i love you's.
+don't follow the crowd.
+you can never be too overprotective of your sister.
+i will never judge you.
+keep your word.
+i will always read to you. even if its your college textbooks.
+look outside the box+color outside of the lines.

+i will never get mad when you pitter patter in my room at 6am.
+you won't always be the strongest or the fastest. but you can be the toughest.
+i will always hug+kiss you. even when you pull away.
+remember, ellyn will always look up to you.

.
+i promise to be at every football+soccer+baseball+basketball game you play in

+or every dance recital+figure skating event+concert+school play you're ever a part of.
+learn how to play the drums. we'll start a band.
+yes mam. no sir. no exceptions.
+i will always give you want you want. especially when everybody else says no.
+notice the little details.
+dance to your own beat.

+i will never miss a birthday.+draw what you see. not what you think there is.

+i will drop you off+pick you up on your first day of kindergarten.

+i will fill your ipod with good music.
+learn "the look". it means back off.
+parents are amazing.
+grandparents are even better.

+but your aunt will always be your partner in crime.

+i will never stop saying i love you.

take my hand. before we cross the street..