You Don’t Turn One Everyday

And neither does our daughter!

Today was Little Bird’s 1st Birthday Party!

I spent most of the morning setting up.  We had a vegetable tray, fruit tray, and cheese tray.  Light food for the holidays, it’s true, but it was perfect for a little afternoon party!

My mother made every one of our birthday cakes.  Continuing that tradition, I made my little girl’s cake, or cupcakes rather.  They may not be beautifully decorated, but they melt in your mouth.  They are green apple caramel cupcakes.  I put them in this cute little Cupcake Holder from Target.  We played “Saw Evelyn do it” Bingo.  There were BINGO cards on the table, as well as a photobook from Shutterfly.

We had everyone write a little note to Evelyn in the white space of the photobook so that she can read them in years to come.  And of course, her candle is burning brightly in the middle of the table!

 

 

 

 

From wooden blocks, to applesauce cupcakes, to ride able dinosaurs and singing birthday cakes – She was showered with tokens of love from family and friends.

 

Thank you to all of our wonderful friends and family who were able to come.  Those of you who weren’t able to make it, you were greatly missed!  I can only hope that every one of her birthday parties for years to come is full of as much love and joy.

Lights On, Little Bird

Little Bird turned 1 yesterday.

Ho-ly shit.

I cannot believe how fast she’s grown up!!!!!

We decorated her with a “1st Birthday Girl” sash to wear to school to let everyone know it was her special day.

Little Bird’s candle burned all day long.  We had a delicious dinner of super mild chili with a Reese’s peanut butter cup for dessert.

Then it was off to the Rhema Light Display to see all the sparkling lights!

Little Bird loved seeing all the bright and sparkling lights.  She wanted to touch the bulbs, but never pulled.  You could tell every moment was fascinating for her!

We walked with her, letting her take it all in. 

And then – in true Little Bird spirit -

She wanted down, and took off exploring on her own!

Little Bird Runs Through Rhema

5:00AM-6:00AM is my favorite hour of the day

Sounds crazy right?  But here is what this hour entails.

I get up, take down the safety gate in front of Little Bird’s door and head into the kitchen.

By the time I have the coffee started and a cup of milk ready, Little Bird has toddled into the kitchen and gives me a good morning hug.

Then we sit at the table and I have a cup of coffee while she drinks milk.  Later, we each have a bowl of oatmeal.

Then later on, we go to her room and pick out clothes for school.  We get dressed and play in the mirror.

I brush my hair and then she brushes hers.

We start our day together.

It’s wonderful.

It’s worth seeing 5 AM everyday.

Spick, Span, Done!

How to keep your house clean…all the time

Ok.  I am that kid who shoved everything in the closet and under the bed and called the room clean.  My drawers were always overflowing and wouldn’t shut.  My clothing wasn’t folded because I just stuffed it in the drawer.  I lost homework assignments.  I was chaos.

Now, my family’s home has remained clean for a full week.

I finally think I have figured out what was wrong with how I was trying to do it.  The way of organizing didn’t make sense to me.  Socks go here…underwear goes there…

It’s just not how my head works.

So I made a few major changes.

1.) Get rid of your extra stuff.  Donate to goodwill, sell on Craig’s list, trash, gift to family, etc.  Get rid of everything you haven’t used in a year.

2.) If you really don’t want to let go of something you haven’t used in a year, store it.  Really store it – like attic, outdoor storage, etc. 

3.) Assign a place for everything that makes sense to you.  Utilize containers where you can. For example, all my make up is in a basket, that goes up on a shelf in the closet.  I pull it out, use it, put it back.  The basket has a home and my make up isn’t sprawled across the counter tops.

4.) Make your home beautiful.  If you know your home has the potential to be a beautiful haven for you, you are more likely to keep it clean.  Bare walls or sterile environments make me anxious, so I’d rather add clutter than be able to focus on the barrenness of a home that is not “decorated”.

 

Those changes have turned my cleaning habits around.  There should never be a room I can’t clean in 5 minutes.

For Everything Else, There’s Bleach

Ok.  I love vinegar.  It’s awesome.  It’s earth friendly.  It can clean almost anything.

Almost.

Anything.

But when Little Bird poops in the tub, there’s bleach.

The Guilt

One of the downfalls of being a working mom is that every now and then you get a wave of guilt.  Parenting books do not often speak kindly of working parents and it can be really grinding.  


After having such an amazing time at home over Thanksgiving Break with my family, going back to work again was surprisingly difficult.


I cherish every moment I can spend with my daughter.  Staying home is not an option for me as far as taking care of my family goes.  With Doc finishing medical school, we depend on my income.  


I love my job.  I'm good at it, it's fulfilling, and I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to do what I love everyday.  Sometimes it is just a little difficult to move past the guilt I feel when Little Bird doesn't want me to drop her off in the morning at daycare.


So!  Here are positive solutions to missing my daughter/feeling guilty about not being able to stay at home with her all the time:
1.) Read parenting books/websites/blogs to come up with ways to make the time I get with her as valuable as possible.
2.) Plan things to do with Little Bird when I get off work
3.) Continue to remind myself that I will get to have every holiday break, including the Summer, to spend with her.


Little Bird is a happy child. She shows no signs of being impaired because I have to work.  This is, I think, one of those things we get in our heads when we are responsible for someone.  I just need to relax and stop worrying about it!