A little Halloween....a little Disney.......

I'm back in Michigan from a family vacation---an exhausting one--but an incredible one.  More on that later.  

Last Wednesday, Halloween.  One of my least favorite holidays. Yep, I said it. I think costumes are cute, I love candy, I love trick or treating, and I love getting Georgia dressed up.  Once. But the month of October is getting ridiculous.  Starting October 1st it's like, "Today is wear your costume to the gas station day." October 7th, "It's wear your costume to the fire station day." October 14th it's time to........"wear your costume to aisle seven of the grocery store day." Then on the 20th it's, "wear your costume to ballet and bring candy to pass out." And by the time the 31st rolls around the costumes are fraying, your kid doesn't want to get wrangled into it one more time, and one top of that, it's raining in awesome Michigan and you get to tramp through puddles and wear gloves because it's so ridiculously cold.  

But Georgia, ever the happy Little Mermaid had a great time eating with friends before hand and getting all dressed up.  

My mom did a truly amazing job making her costume.  I'm sure this mermaid tail will be falling apart long before Georgia is done playing with it.  

And then...........the best thing.........

We headed down to Disney for four days with my family.  It was so fantastic.  I was waiting for meltdowns, fights with Chris, family tension, and "I've had it up to here's," like you hear people lament about their trips to Disney.  It was absolutely the furthest from that........pretty much a flawless trip.  I'll be back later this week to share my thoughts and opinions on Disney trips and what makes them good.  You know......since I've been once with a kid and I'm an expert now.  

In general, I've spent my whole life pretty unaware of Disney and why people are obsessed with it.  And while I'm not about to run out and get a Minnie Mouse tattoo.......meeting the princesses was so much fun with Georgia.  And the best.....if you go......find Cinderella's step family.  They are hilarious. I mean just look at the facial expression of the one below in lime green.  

There's my first tip.  More to come. 

And........don't forget to vote tomorrow!  It's important.  And if you can---take your kiddo's.  I think it's crucial for them to see it in action and to hear you talk about it.....in a respectful way......no matter who is elected.  I'm an election geek and I put tomorrow night's television viewing right up there with some of the best nights of TV out there.   

Don't waste your right.  Vote. 

Tickling the Ivories.

So, I know I said I was out for the rest of the week......but then my friend Lisa sent me these pictures last night that she asked Georgia and I to come down to her studio to take at the beginning of October....and I couldn't not share them.

Lisa had a wedding in her studio at the end of September and she had this amazing wall of sheet music and an old upright piano that had been part of the wedding.........it was begging for more use.  Enter us. I think pictures, family pictures, are pretty important, and Lisa doesn't know how to take bad pictures....so when she asked us I said, "What time do you want us there?"

And the results?  I'm in love with them.

I'd love to hang these over a future piano one day in our house.  I took piano lessons for ten years and hope to start Georgia soon.  She's like a moth to a flame when it comes to the piano at my parents house and her preschool progress report said her favorite thing to do at school was play instruments and sing.  I could have told you that from the time she was two weeks old.  She responds to music almost more than anything else.  It's in her veins.

Georgia asked Lisa if there was any Wizard of Oz music on the wall.  The two of us laughed and humored Georgia for a few seconds while we "looked" for Wizard of Oz sheet music.  And guess what?  Lisa found some....right at the bottom where Georgia was sitting.  We can't escape Oz.  I guess that's in her veins too.

If you need amazing photography for any reason, check out Lisa's website.  She'll travel anywhere and I consider her work to be some of the best photography I've seen.  And in general, family pictures--the kind you take, and the kind you have taken--are an irreplaceable investment.  Don't overlook them.

Alright--I'm really done for the week now........check ya'later.

Hello. Good-bye. See you soon.

Hello there! Just popping in to say......I'm heading out for a bit and will be back to my regular blogging middle of next week!  We've got some crazy stuff going on (good stuff) between now and then and I need the extra 'space' to get it all done!  Hope you have a great Halloween! And if you're a friend on the East Coast--stay safe and warm.  None of that sounds fun.  At all.  

Adios! 

A Family Launch

I'm over at Mom Colored Glasses today.......well......a lot of days.  I try not to duplicate content however......but today's idea is one of my favorites and too good (in my opinion) not to share.  So head on over and check out my idea for a family launch!

Have a great Thursday!  See you again back here soon!

Faking it.

I was sick this weekend.  Sicker than I've been in a while.  Like wake up in the middle of the night Friday with a throat that's on fire, lay on the couch all day Saturday while my awesome husband took Georgia to get donuts, to Lowes, let her play outside in the garage with him all afternoon, and all around just let me lay and do nothing sick.  Like cancel plans with girlfriends to the Melting Pot and watch the "Nanny's Revenge" on Lifetime while in a feverish haze sick.

Just sick.

I rallied for a bit to teach three year olds at church this morning and to take Georgia out to lunch at Noodles & Co. but I still pretty much felt like garbage.  But I decided when we got home that I needed to do something with my girl since I'd missed a whole Saturday with her and bit her head off for really no good reason during bath-time on Saturday night because I was feeling so crummy.

I was hoping she'd think laying very still on the couch sounded like fun.  She didn't; since she hasn't laid still besides her REM cycles........ever.  So, I decided we'd take a walk in the woods behind our house to collect leaves to make leaf glitter (thank-you Family Fun magazine--see the latest issue for the deets--and yes....I just used the word deets).

We're moving in about a month and while I'm very excited about it, I will miss the woods behind our house.  They seem to go on forever and G and I have taken numerous walks through them in all seasons and they always deliver a good time; an amazing time.  So we set off.  Me feeling like garbage, Georgia excited and oblivious to adult ailments.  I was faking it with the best of them.

And I kept faking it because it was a beautiful day here in Grand Rapids, Michigan and next weekend it's supposed to snow and who knows if we'll get the chance to take a walk through these woods again.  That stings a little bit to type.

I knew I needed to fake it.  And I'm so glad I did.

I love this picture. I love it because Georgia's boots are on the wrong feet and it is the hallmark of an independent three year old who "can do it myself."

We found some great leaves, we laughed, we chased each other down some hills, and the most exciting to Georgia.....we found lots of deer poop to which she responded, "I always thought they did that in private."

I feel like so much about being a mom is faking it.  Sure, I know how to get her to stop crying, I can definitely get that sliver out quickly, I bet this consequence will totally work, my kid can for sure endure a five hour shopping trip to the mall, and on and on it goes.  And it's okay, because so many times when we're faking it, it turns out right.....and good.......and perfect.  Like our walk in the woods today.

Georgia got to spend time with me......outdoors........exploring........enjoying possibly one of our last beautiful fall days.  And I did to.

Because you know what they say......."Fake it till you make it."

I made it. And I had the best forty five minutes of my weekend.