My Little Lucille

I like to call Spencer, Lucille sometimes.  I know it's weird.

We went to Lila's birthday party this weekend and I took the pictures.  It was a child's paradise.  Here is just a fraction of the fun.

I have another test tomorrow- this one is a little shorter than the last one, thank goodness, but I still need to study.  Only two weeks left to go!

Look at This Stuff, Isn't it Neat?

Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?

For all of those who guessed it was Ariel on the cake, you are correct! But since I said the first person to guess would win the prize, the winner is Tri-Star from Loving Every Moment. Email me for your prize! Which is, thanks to my great swagbucks, a $5 gift Amazon gift card. 

So how did Ariel end up looking like that? It's a rather lengthy story that I'm going to condense to spare you some time.  On Spencer's birthday we went on a mom and daughter trip to Williamsburg to go to Snow-to-Go, which is the best shaved ice on the planet. Plus they stuff it with soft serve ice cream (which don't get) and I knew Spencer would love it. The excursion took a bit longer than I planned on because we got a late a start and then a huge storm came as I was driving us home.  So when we finally made it to my parent's house, it was after 4pm.  When we got there, my mom reminded me that we needed to stop by another birthday party that was going on right then for another little girl at our church.  I was a little panicked because I needed to put Spencer's cake in the oven. My dad volunteered for the job and said he would put it in and take it out to cool and then I could ice it when we got back from the party. I was a little hesitant, as I always bake her birthday cake for her actual birthday family celebration party, but my dad said not to worry, it would be fine.

When we got back from the party my dad was standing in the kitchen and I could tell something was wrong.  He apologized a million times and then said Ariel's entire face had come off when he turned the pan over to slide out the cake.  The cake pan was in the shape of Ariel, with every one of her features very distinctive and defined.  When I looked at what was left, there was just a flat surface with some holes in it. I kinda freaked out, but not too much because I didn't want my dad to feel any worse than he already did.  So with no guide lines, I did the best I could.  Because of all the holes I had to fill, I ran out of icing and had to improvise even more than I already was doing.  And that's how I managed to create that beautiful specimen you saw before!

 But Spencer didn't seem to mind, she said it was "so so beautiful!"

My Biggest Artistic Failure Yet

There's a good story that goes with this, I promise.  But for now, whoever can guess what/who this was supposed to be, wins the prize!  I'm not sure what "prize" that will be, but rest assured, it can't be as bad as this cake.

Flap-Flappy Windy Things

Did  I mention that have class every morning for four hours?  Because I do.  And a test and a quiz every week.  This week we did one chapter a day, which equals a test on three chapters, approximately a trillion pages worth of textbook pages and an infinite number of PowerPoint slides.  I keep meaning to write about Spencer's birthday party, but that might be difficult, seeing as I haven't even uploaded the pictures yet!  How terrible is that?  I know.

I didn't even my get camera out of the bag until last night.  There was a beautiful orange crescent moon and I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice using my tripod again- since the 4th of July fireworks didn't go too well.  I was getting everything set up on the driveway when I hear a weird flapping windy sound.  So I looked up.

Mistake.

Don't look up at night time if you hear a weird flappy windy sound, because it can only be one of few things; a small bat very close by your head, a large bat semi-close to your head, or a bunch of bats that are flying all around.  In this case, it was one huge, gigantic bat, followed by a few more, all flap-flapping above my head.  I've seen my fair share of bats, one even flew into an open window in my bedroom when I was in the 4th grade, as I was laying in bed. (I'm a big fan of screens now!)  But this was the biggest bat I've ever seen in my life- it was a bat on steroids.  So when I saw his little familial flock (what's a flock of bats called?) flying behind him, I made a super fast dash for the front door.  No pretty orange crescent moon pictures. Just bats.

And then I went to bed.  Still didn't upload the pictures.

Three Times as Tired

I have a case of the extreme exhaustion combined with the terrible my body hurts all over condition.  We've officially put all of the birthday celebrations to bed and I'm about join in on that!  But here's a sneak peak to hold you over until I can hold open my eyelids.

That's about 1/5 of the total amount of cupcakes.  That we made.  My hands are still orange.

But I just love her so. 

Even though it looks like I had a bad run in with some self-tanner on my hands. (Not yet pictured)

Three

I don't know what to write.  My baby turns three tomorrow- well technically, she turns three at 5:24pm, but that's being a tad precise.  Here's what I do know:

1.  I spent 8 hours making, icing, and decorating 70 cupcakes.
2.  My feet haven't been this swollen since July 9, 2007.
3.  Spencer let me rock her to sleep tonight.
4.  I have never loved her more than I do right now.
5.  I will love her even more tomorrow.
6. And more the day after that. (I think you get the picture)
7.  I had some wonderful conversations tonight and I have never been so profoundly sure that this was the life meant for me.  I took a good long look at who I would have become had it not been for Spencer, and the picture was not pretty.  Yes, it may have looked shiny, glamorous, and enviable- but it would have just been a Monet.  And an empty Monet at that. I would not have become a person worthy of my Spencer.

A lot of this blog journey of mine has been about finding myself again- regaining my former "glory," if you will. But I don't think that's what I want do here anymore- I want to celebrate who I am now; the mother and woman that I am!  I'm sure I'll still have my woe is me days, don't get me wrong!  But when I started this blog and titled it My Story is Not Over- in my mind, it kinda was over, and I was trying to do something, anything, to get "me" back.  But today, as my daughter turns three years old, I can confidently, joyfully, and with all the belief in my heart, say that my story really isn't over. How lucky am I?

Spencer Elizabeth,

I love you more than all the stars in the sky, the grains of sand on the beaches, and all the diet coke in the world.  But I am not a poet, so I will let ee cummings finish this for me:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Love,

Mommy

Me and My Almost Three Year Old

Who Doesn't Like Fireworks?

Spencer doesn't like fireworks, that's who.  I had everything all set up to in the backyard- my chair, my tripod, my lenses.  All in preparation to take some great fireworks photos.  But as soon as she heard the first one go off, she began begging me to go in inside.  She even said "Spencer's tired, I need to take a nap."  I figure if she's pulling out those big guns, then she must really be afraid.  So I packed it all up and inside we went.  Maybe I can take some pictures next year!?  Now I'm watching the Boston Pops, but there's something a lot different about watching fireworks on the TV.

Happy 4th of July!

We're Havin' a Party

I really love her in invitations!