warning... sort of sappy post.

So I've been having one of those weeks where I question if decisions I make both personally and professionally are right for me and for my family.  Very often are things right for both.  So there is that constant struggling of mom guilt regarding if I do something that makes me happy is it at Penny's expense...  I know all parents go through that and some days it's worse than others... and when it's worse - it sucks.  You just feel like you are doing everything wrong.

over the course of yesterday evening though... several things penny did or said really jumped out at me and made me realized, that if this little girl is so awesome because of something her daddy and I taught her... then we must be doing something right...not everything.. but at least something.

first example:  I hear penny having the following conversation "night night baby. lub u.  her cold. her blankie. night night baby. lub you. go to sleep"  I look over to see this:

if my little girl knows to give someone a blanket when they are cold, make sure they are tucked in nice and cozy and bed time and tell the people and/or things she cares about that she "lubs them"... then we have definately taught her something good.

second example:  we took a walk down the street to get ice cream yesterday. it was a hike and by the tiem we got there penelope really wanted the promised ice cream treat.  once she say the shop she yelled "goal" and raised her arms.  I was proud enough of her right there that she loved her ice cream so much to cheer for arrival.. but even more proud when we got inside.  she was polite when we got our treats, said please and thank you several times, and when she dropped something she said "i get it.. wtih my mouf" then proceeding to scoop up whatever she dropped with a finger and right into her mouth :)  she also said "bye bye, thank for penny ice cream" when we left.  

later that evening we ordered pizza (healthy food choices last night) and when the pizza guy came she ran out and said "penny help please" and "thank you" when he let her carry in the bag with the salad (see there we some greens in our dinner). 

I LOVE how polite she is.  not going to lie she uses it to her advantage awesome, but if my little girl is the one that parents stop me to tell me how nice and polite she is - i'm a happy mommy.

finally... we ended up the gorgeous day playing soccer with gatsby in the front.  excuse the quality of this video.. i'm loud and penny is running all over.. best part is at the end.  gatsby starts choking because like the genious he is he devoured some grass. penny hears him coughing, stops what she is doing and says  "bless you gatsby, bless you"  

god i love her.

sorry for the sappy post... just having one those weeks where you just feel like nothing you do it write.  and then little bits reminds me by just being her awesome self, that her daddy and i had a small part in how really awesome she is... so mabye we are doing something right after all....thanks penny... i needed that.

randoms from the week...

and she's off... she moves like the wind.

chicken wire frame I made this weekend...

baby calvin - i LOVE those cheeks.

table kris is making for our deck.. more to come when finished...

umm.. wrong season penny.

"he hungry"

so penny is just hanging out the other evening and playing on the floor.  she is being very good, and very quiet and not asking for anything from me.  this is highly unusual so i go investigate.

yep, she's playing with a spider. a  live spider who happens to be pretty large.

she is just put her hands up to it, pushing it around, letting it crawl on her.

i yelled and called for kris to get the spider then yanked penny away.

she looks up at me and says "but he hungy"  

ah -of course. he was "hungy" so let him eat you.

i told her we dont play with bugs - they are yuck yuck and you have to tell mommy and daddy when you see one.

her response to that:

"but where HIS mommy is?"

his mommy is probably dead.  like he is about to be.  tough life lesson kiddo.

outsmarted again

i was running late for work this am so I was home when penelope was getting up and ready for the day with kris.

from the bedroom i hear a lot screaming on her side, and a lot of kris trying to reason her OUT of her yo gabba gabba pj shirt and into some normal clothes.

it was not going well.

i joined in to try and help and wasnt successful at all.

she cried, yelled, ignored bribery.

finally she stops crying... walks calmly over to me.  puts her hands on mine and says very sweetly "mommy penny wear her gabba shirt today please. please mommy please"

well f.

i spend all damn day telling her to ask nicely, there is no need to cry, tell mommy in a big girl voice what you need... etc.

and then she goes and pulls that out this morning.  how can i possibly tell her no now??

kris and i exchanged looks.. decided to chalk this one up to a loss a just move on with the day

my child now looks like a giant hoosier.  Wearing a 2 sizes too big gabba gabba tshirt, black yoga pants and tennis shoes with her crazy hair untamed.

let's check the score: 

penny: 1,254

mommy/daddy: big fat zero.

she wins again.

well played my dear, well played.

little bit of jealousy...

uncle kevin, aunt lisa and uncle calvin visited a little over a week ago... penelope LOVED having them around and getting to spend time with her baby cousin calvin.

she did however seem to show a little bit of jealousy when mommy's friend darci came over for a photo shoot for baby calvin.

after they went upstairs to try some photos in my bedroom, penelope proceeded to put on her tutu and run upstairs to "watch"

watching entailed twirling, playing ring around the rosy and generally trying to get in pictures or just get the attention of people taking pictures..

the pictures of calvin turned out adorable!

 

when it was penny's turn to get in a photo with calvin.. she was LESS than excited about it.  he had the nerve to cry and then touch her tutu... not a fan of that...

 

finally... she got her moment in the spotlight: (love this photo darci!)

eventually she gave up on these people... realized the baby was getting the attention today and went downstairs to put on a show for uncle tony - always the engaged audience :)



all girl... even with her new kicks

this past weekend kris and i got an amazing parenting break and got to act like kids during st. patty's day.

we dropped penny off with my parents on saturday am, were responsible adults for a couple hours and hit the hardware store/ran errands, then drank like it was our job (or at least i did).

the next morning was a bit rough - not going to lie and the break was worth it...

and little bits came home in a brand new outfit... new cardinals dress complete we sweet new adidas kicks from gma and gpa d. even with her outfit and sweet new shoes - she is still all girl.  as evidence in the photos below involving head bands, ever present purple shades, love of flowers and just the way she runs... we really need to butch her up a bit. 

at least the tutu got a break.

a few photos from the weekend:

saturday morning before we left... a lady always has her shades.  gotta protect against wrinkles

and of course.. what's some photos without penelope practicing her pouting.  both with and without her shades - gotta see what looks best :)

modeling her new dress and running "real fast" in her new kicks at gma and gpa h's for bday dinners!

god i love that face.

and this little toddler run...

play date with the koz family

this past weekend one of kris's best friends from high school game over with his family.  his little girls, claire (3) and genevieve (16 months) were soo cute and played so well with penny.

they had a great time playing inside but an even better time playing outside... between the water table, bubbles and an impromptu dance party... i think the night was a smashing success :)

 and of course... gotta end with a dance party:

rough day... new perspective

yesterday was a rough day with penny.  we have those from time to time and man are they frustrating.  welcome to life with a 1 year old :)

we actually started great playing outside, hooking up the water table and taking a great walk while daddy bbq'd some yummy burgers. 

then penny saw the "chair".  The chair is actually an old child's desk that i bought at a thrift store last week. its sitting in my garage waiting to be cleaned up (and de rusted) so i can bring it into the playroom.  i let penny sit on it over the weekend and she wanted to again after the walk.  it was time to eat so i said no - we'll play with our chair later.

end of the work.

you would have thought i killed a puppy or something.  she lost her mind.  i thought we'd go inside and shed forgot like normal. mistake. she spent 30 plus minutes bagning her body against the door to the garage and screaming "my chair my chair" over and over and over again.  she would alternate between trying to open the door and throwing herself face down on the floor for effect.  we did our best to ignore and eventually she stopped.

she got intersted in something else then just decided to throw a tantrum about that.  basically from 6;00 pm until about 8:30pm penny screamed.  not her finest moment.  we were obviously upset, frustrated and wishing this kid wasnt so damn crazy sometimes.

days like that are when quotes like this one are really really needed:

Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It’s about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you’re lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be.” – Joan Ryan

Sometimes you need the reminder not to wish away attitudes, behavior, days or stages.  Sometimes we need to accept that penny is "strong willed" as my doctor calls her. and that's okay :)

I love this quote.  I think i might read this daily.  i think i might NEED to read this daily as the terrible twos continue to loom in our future.

it's a good reminder that she may be crazy sometimes. but she's ours.  and we love every crazy bit of her. and we wouldnt change a thing.

"more one more time mommy"

it's time to get out a quote book for penelope.

she cracks me up lately.

the other day at bedtime i told her she could bake a cake in her oven "one more time"

so she bakes her cake, gives me a bite and then i tell her it's time for bed.

she replies, "more one more time mommy"

fair enough.

mommy and me

we all know that penny is a momma's girl and pretty much my constant shadow.. there are days where it is very frustrating and i cant even go to the bathroom in peace... but most of the time - it's amazing. lately she wants to do EVERYTHING i do and can actually be a bit of a help.  but i've realized that just setting her up with a "grown up" activity can provide tens of minutes of entertainment (that's about as good as it gets for aone year olds attention span).

here are a few photos from penny making cookies for gma h's bday last week

and i finally got a FEW photos of me and my girl.. normally i'm taking the photos but I made kris take some after the zoo yesterday.

the other thing my little shadow does it mimic EVERYTHING.  i haven't posted much about her words but holy crap she never stops talking and lately you can understand everything.  she is also getting really good at telling me what she wants... she can do pretty good sentences such as "help with letters momma"  "momma penny hungry want bananas"  "penny thirsty, me have ice please"

i honestly didnt expect that much talking until a little bit later but it turns out this child is one chatty cathy.

she is also getting good at using adjectives or descriptive words.  "it's really very hot momma" 

and of course telling gatsby what to do "gatsby sit in your chair now" followed by a finger wagging in his face.

but most of the time she is just plain silly :)

she woke up from her nap today and said "penny silly mommy" then ran around the room like a crazy person while i tried to catch a few photos when she sat stilll...i love my little shadow.. i think i just need to start watching what i say though so little shadow doesnt repeat EVERYTHING :)

i feel like she is practicing for a musical here.

just posing...

"penny very tall mommy"

pouting out the window because calvin was gone..