Happy Birthday Nana!

Today is Nana's birthday. For those of you who are not in the know...Nana is Daryl's mama...aka Diane, but those close to her call her Dee. I just love her to pieces...so does everyone else who meets and gets to know her. She's amazingly warm, loving and generous. She hugs like she means it. Daryl got his superb hugging abilities from her. When you're hugged by Dee, you know it....and it lingers.

I honestly couldn't ask for a more cool, loving, awesomely wonderful mother in law. I didn't know they came this good! I feel for a lot of my friends who didn't score a MIL like I did, but I'm not giving her to anyone...I may share a little...well, I HAVE to share...especially with Mia.


Mia adores her Nana and it's wholly reciprocated. They have a love that I've never seen. They're silly and playful and loving and sweet and and and ...everything nice in the world that there is between a Nana and her granddaughter. Nana has a little joke that whatever Mia asks of her Pawpaw, he'll say 'yes'. Hmmmm I think the same thing can be said for her.

When Mia spends weekends with them, Mia is the center of their world. Works stops. Everything else can wait. She's so attentive and understanding of our little snapper....and me. Whenever we're trying something new...in regards to eating, discipline...anything...Dee is open to it and follows our lead. She really respects Daryl and me as parents and tries to keep things even for Mia....not to say that Mia doesn't come home a little 'broken'...spoiled after a couple of days with Nana and Pawpaw...but that's their job and they do it well!

This woman works hard and plays harder! She and her honey, Tom/Pawpaw, travel all over the world and live life the way it was meant to. Their family means everything to them, and pretty much nothing else matters. Devoted.

Anyway....I LOVE that Dee was born...not only to we get her, but I get her wonderful son. Oh, don't even get me started on how damn great of a mama she is!

Dee, I love you! Happy Birthday!

*all of these shots are from our wonderful weekend in Port O'Connor...our home away from home

gluten hangover

i was pretty much on the GF thang on the way to the coast on friday. saturday was pretty easy as well. i know not everyone is gf, so i don't expect that they'd provide those options for me. my in-laws were super fab about the whole thing. there was plenty for me to eat, and Mia only ate a smidge of the glutenny stuff. we all went out to dinner sat night, and i still did well. it was when we got back, and i'd been drinking a little...i ate a huge as banana nut muffin! then the next day i had 1/2 of a huge ass blueberry muffin! hmmm the rest is a gluten induced blur...i know i had a banana double decker moon pie (we were on a roadtrip) and some cheese rangoons. fuck.

this morning, i didn't feel well. at all. i ended up in the bathroom at a playdate, and all i have to say is that if i keep doing this, i'm gonna need to carry matches with me (sorry Ashley). i was sluggish and gained 3 pounds.

today, i'm back on the wagon. it hurts too much not to be. plus the feeling of being out of control really sucks.

Best Shot Monday - He loves me

We were down at the coast this weekend...Port O' Connor. While at the beach, Daryl started writing something in the sand with his toes. Mia was very attentive and interested in what her daddy was doing. It turns out he was showing her how to write in the sand. Daryl *hearts* me!....he added Mia's name, too. Awwwww I love that left it for the whole world to see.

I'm picking this first super sweet shot for my Best Shot

Tracey at Mother May I is on vacation, so Melody is hosting BSM for a few weeks. Head on over to Slurping Life for some more fab best shots.

just put it on

i'm sitting here on my mil's computer checking my email, and i HAVE to tell you what just happened. it's nothing juicy, but it did make me smile.

Dee (mil) opens the door and comes in from the balcony...Daryl is still out there. she makes a bee line for her bedroom at the same time calls back to Daryl 'just put it on'. Hmmm put what on, i wonder? she comes marching back towards the balcony with something in her hand. 'what's going on?' i ask. she replies with a stern look on her face, 'he WILL put aloe on his burn'.

now, i can NEVER get Daryl to put anything on himself if he doesn't want it on. Aloe is one of those things i always suggest, but never happens. let me let ya know that the tops of his feet are a smidge pink from the day of fishing...a little pink. he, like a lot of men, aren't used to real pain, so they kinda bitch and moan about the little aches, colds.... his feet are a little pink, but he mentioned it to his mama, and she went and got the aloe. i betcha he's got it on...let me go check. brb.

fuuuuuunnnnnyyyyyy!!!! i opened the door, asked him if he had aloe on his feet. they BOTH said 'yes' :)

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Comadre!

Andrea's birthday is today....but we CELEBRATED last night!

nine of us hit Cool River for drinks & dinner. there was one point where a slightly...or a little more than slightly tipsy...Andrea (with half closed eyes) broadly gestured to everyone at the table and said 'Theeeeese are my friends'. i have to say that was the best moment of the evening, for me. here was one of my dear friends, being cherished by a fabulous group of women. she was reveling in it...she was so beautiful. after dinner, we hit the dance floor and literally boogied...or did we shake, shake, shake...shake, shake, shake..our booties? we danced and were silly. when i left, the beautiful birthday girl...still dancing closely with her friends...her eyes were closed and she was gently swaying....so gorgeously serene in the sea of dancers.

Yvonne...by Andrea

Steph...by Anja

Leah Ann & Tanya....by Andrea

Me...by Andrea

Leah Ann...by Anja

(my camera was passed around a bit, guest photographers are noted above..I took the rest)

my Djembaby

I've recently taken up African drumming with some dear friends. I'm loving it so, that I bought my own djembe. It's been SO awesome to practice on. Usually Mia dances while I practice, but a lot of the time she wants to jump in or she'll want to play it on her own.

This is the conversation that happens before she's able to play:

Mia: can I play it mama?

Me: what is it?

Mia: it's a DJEMBE !!!! (with great enthusiasm!)

Me: what goes on a djembe?

Mia: my clean hands (as she proudly displays her hands)

Follows the inspection of her hands, and washing if necessary (she once tried to sneak some oatmeal covered hands by me!)

Then we drum drum drum! Mia prefers a drumming song she learns in her Music Together class...as she drums, she sings 'listen, listen everyone. listen to me playyyy my drum....a boom boom boom boom....'

magnify your life

Mia's totally into magnifying glasses. They had one in the Heartsong Music lobby that she played with every week. That was her go to. Her Memaw has one that she plays with on her visits to Nana and Pawpaw's house. Ita has one, too. Well, she HAD one. While unpacking from our last trip, I noticed Ita's MG in Mia's toy bag. Mia probably put it in there during clean up time...regardless, it's here. She checks EVERYTHING out with it. Her legs and arms, our legs and arms...our eyes, too...Niles, rocks, books, her dinner....EVERYTHING. She actually says 'let's check this out'...'big..small...big...small'

no ants were harmed...

so, Mia has a new fascination with magnifying glasses...i have an old fascination. while she was busy in her sandbox (with her back to me..i felt safe, but still very sneaky), i grabbed her MG and a dry leaf. it was a little breezy out, so i held the leaf still with my big toe....i had to hold my camera. MG + sunshine = FIRE! i created FIRE! ahhhhhh to feel like a kid again.

i'm killing myself....and i can't STOP!

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i'm freakin KILLING myself. have you tried Central Market Organics HATCH Green Chile Tortilla Chips?

OMf'ingG!!!!!! they're FABULOUS in the oh,-it-hurts-so-bad-but-i-still-want-more kinda way.

FYI: this is a chip you won't have to share with your toddler. Mia took a bite, then a second, slowly looked at me and gently put the remainder of the chip back into the bag :)

Sarah's Water Wonderland

Allison, DH Jesse, Sarah and newish lil bro, Kristopher hosted a FUN FUN FUN playdate at their place yesterday...they had 3 pools (one HUGEMONGOUS), a slip n slide, playscape and we even made our own lava lamps...which we LOVED, and so glad Alli offered this craft b/c we were unable to make Stephanie's Lava Lamp playdate. It was SO great hanging with friends :)

Oh, I got to hold Courtney's new little Emerson...barely over a week old