tonight

Robert isn't home this evening, off at a work dinner.

So I had this grand plan to put EmmaJane to bed early and have time to myself to watch whatever I wanted and relax!

But I was a little slower to put her to bed.
And I read her 3 books (which I NEVER do - always just one).
And she resisted being put to bed and I kinda let her.
But then I didn't want it to go too far so...
I gave her kisses and hugs real quick-like,
and stuck her in the crib.
And she cried. And screamed "moooommmmmaaaaa!!!".
And she clung to her stuffed animals and blankets for any ounce of comfort.
And I said my usual "Night night EmmaJane, I love you, sleep tight sugar bite."

And I closed the door.

Then...I regretted it.
She cried harder.
Screamed my name even more pathetically.
I should've put off bedtime even longer.
I think I needed her as much as she needed me.

And that my friends, is motherhood to me.

Whose been feedin ya??

That part in Elizabethtown when Drew first drives into Elizabethtown, KY and they show the city sign and the kids playing and the teenagers mowing the lawn and people he doesn't know waving at him and  pointing him in the right direction ...and then in the house when he realizes the life his dad had there and this amazing family that is loud and so very traditional.

All the while playing "My Father's Gun" by Elton John

Love.

Thought.

Sitting here not wanting to go to bed. Because the sooner I go to bed, the sooner I wake up. Which means the sooner EmmaJane wakes up. Or should I say the cold-infected monster that has taken over my  child's body.
She cried so much today, and when I say cry I mean flailing arms and legs sobbing, that I started doing the same.

day Thirty-One.

day 31: whatever tickles your fancy

Sequoia Nat'l Park - November 2010

There's a street that I pass on my way to church called "Rainier" and of course it always makes me think of Mount Rainier which I've actually never been to, but I would really love to.
Then my mind starts wondering to all the national and state parks I have been to and how grateful I am to have had those experiences...

...like Yellowstone when all the geysers smelled like bad farts, so then Trevor's farts started smelling like the geysers.
...and Arches when it was so hot so mom and I decided not to hike the whole trail to see Delicate Arch, and I've regretted it ever since.
...and Canyonlands when the 'cracks' in the land seemed to go on and on and on forever.
...and The Grand Tetons when we rafted on the Snake river and I was so scared but it was also one of the coolest things I've ever done.
...and Yosemite when really one of the only things I remember is driving out of the park listening to Mike sing all the words to "Bust A Move" so perfectly. oh and that we stayed in a hotel with a serial killer. true story.
...and Bryce Canyon when it was just me and mom on our way home to CA.
...and Sequoia when we saw 3 bears and I fell on my booty on the ice, all while being secretly pregnant and on the verge of losing my lunch the entire time (thank you EmmaJane).

and there's so many more, but man oh man do I feel blessed when I think about all these amazing experiences I've had mostly thanks to my mother who loves nature so much that she's engrained it into me. Thanks mom, can't wait to continue the tradition with my kiddos!

day Thirty.

day 30: a letter to the friendliest person you knew for only one day

Dear lady at the gate to Fort Pulaski in Savannah, GA,

That moment when you with your thick southern accent asked us if we had ever been to the fort and we replied "no" and then you continued on to give us a brief history of the fort, explained what was currently happening there (they were filming "The Conspirator" and I saw Robert Redford and James McAvoy - swoon!). And then when you started explaining the anatomy of the fort itself one line in particular will never be forgotten, you said "...and you see those big ole' gashes in the sides there? That's where the Yankees hit our fort." It was the tone you used. You weren't referring to old times when it was Yankees vs. Confederates...you were speaking of current times when it IS Yankees vs. Confederates.

My eyes were opened a little more to the world that day
Thank you.

day Twenty-Nine.

day 29: provide the hex code of your favorite color /http://www.febooti.com/products/iezoom/online-help/online-color-chart-picker.html

005

#CBFFE4

a.k.a. seafoam green/blue.

It's an obsession.

day Twenty-Eight.

day 28: favorite places to shop

Well thrift stores as I've mentioned before.

But also the following are frequented (this excludes the usuals of Target, Costco, Sprouts, etc. - which I do love):

- Ross dress for less (always a good go-to for home goods)
- Old Navy (awesome sales - sometimes not even just clearance)
- Urban Outfitters (only if they're having their 50% off clearance sale)
- Michaels (for all those unfinished craft projects...)

day Twenty-Seven.

day 27: a talent of yours

I'd say I have a knack for crafts/DIYing. There's hardly a time I pay for something that I know can be done at home SO easily.

..whether or not it actually gets made is a whole 'nother subject.

day Twenty-Six.

day 26: favorite books

Remember when I started this? And then I got pregnant and never finished it? Well let's try this again.

So day 26.

Favorite books, I'm going to put a disclaimer that the BOM is a given. Other than that here are some others I find myself thinking about a lot, so that means I loved it I guess.

 "Marie Antoinette: The Journey" by Antonia Fraser.
As you can see in the circle it says "the book that inspired the film" so after seeing that I had to read it because I love love love that movie. And it didn't disappoint. It gave such a great in depth biography of Marie Antoinette from birth to death. I had so many questions about her and I feel like I got a lot answered. I think I need to read it again though.

"Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen.
Yeah, yeah, surprise, surprise. I can't deny that P&P is by far my favorite Jane Austen novel. But something not so normal about Jane Austen lovers is that Jane Bennet (think emmaJANE) is actually my favorite female Jane Austen character - as opposed to Elizabeth, though I do appreciate the complexity and boldness (for that era) of her personality. But overall Mr. Darcy wins by a landslide, I mean how do you deny someone who uses words like "ardently" in describing love? ((swoon))

from afar.

I think it's so interesting to find out what you look like day-to-day. I think we all know what we look like when we pose for pictures, when we smile, how we look right after we apply makeup...but I really love those candid shots. Sometimes it's depressing (like the time a picture of my booty ended up in the background of a picture on a friend's blog) and sometimes its just interesting to see how everyone else sees you.
The above picture is a perfect example of that. While I had no idea Robert was snapping a picture with my wet nappy head of hair (from being drizzled on) it was an extra little surprise to see my own little munchkin smiling back at her dad as I carried her away.
Is she seriously mine forever? Because this is the funnest thing I've ever done.

Look at the bully of a cousin thinking it's the funniest thing ever that she's holding a baby's hand while her poor little cousin cries her eyes out. I mean seriously she's our house clown.