Cinderella

Currently topping my list of things I can't do while pregnant would be...

... paint my toenails
... take a deep breath
... sit in a chair without a pillow for back support
... or watch sappy commercials or movies without crying 

The most recent addition to the list should be...listening to Stephen Curtis Chapman's song "Cinderella". 

It came on in the car when I was by myself the other day.  (Yes, I actually was by myself in the car, a rarity--and luxury--- I know.) I knew better than to listen but for some reason I just didn't turn the dial.  By the time the song was over I had reached my destination and was just sitting in the car sobbing while trying to compose myself and save my mascara along with my dignity.

The reason why the song struck such a chord with me was just the night before Gabe and Kendall had done their Saturday night ritual:  have a real tea party with Mommy's real tea cups and watch, of all things, Lawrence Welk.  Yes, my three year old is captivated by old reruns of Lawrence Welk.  She loves the dancing, singing and costumes. I mean, I have memories of my grandparents watching it on Saturday nights when I would spend the weekend with them.  But how many preschoolers now actually know who Lawrence Welk is??? Well, mine does. (But she also knows who Lucille Ball is and can let me know which I Love Lucy episode she's in the mood to watch.)  So I'm assuming she's not the typical three year old??

Anyway...for the past few weeks Kendall has wanted to wear her Cinderella dress and dance with Daddy.  She practicing her Ginger Rogers moves lately.  And Gabe is such a good sport.  He does what ever she directs. 

This is her spin/break dance combo move.  She fancied it up even more by adding a leg kick to it.

And I think Gabe realizes something. For a brief season of her life, he is her prince.  And she wants to dance every dance with her Daddy.  All too soon she'll be grown and dancing to Lawrence Welk on Saturday nights with her Daddy won't be exactly how she'll dream of spending her Saturday nights. All too soon her affections will be swept away by another prince charming, whom I already consistently pray for.  So for now we'll both cherish the moments of her being so little and thinking we're so great (and that Daddy can actually dance).

And if you happen to not know the song "Cinderella" I highly recommend you take a minute and listen to it.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrWMBC6yoME&ob=av2e

 I do recommend  kleenex if you have a daughter of your own.  And if you're pregnant, the box.

Car Wash

We were looking for something to do last night (big Friday night plans with a toddler). And I figured that since Kendall is so obsessed with cleanliness lately, what better family activity could there be than washing the car together? Plus it needed a good bath after all this pollen we've been experiencing. So Daddy got all the supplies ready: bucket, soap, hose, and two rags, one for him and one for Kendall. And Mommy got her supplies gathered as well: camera and video camera.

Kendall was fascinated with the bubbles, one of her favorite words.

Then Kendall decided the ground was dirtier than the car thus needing immediate action.

Once the driveway was cleaned to her standards, Kendall helped Daddy clean Mommy's door.

Oops... soap bubbles spilled onto the driveway.

And timeout to watch the plane fly overhead.

At first she insisted on not getting wet, but then she realized how fun that could be.

And most importantly, Kendall made sure our Tiger decal got a good washing. We want it to sparkle as we drive 'round town!
Family car wash night was a success, and soon to become a summer ritual, I'm sure.

Happy Birthday, Daddy

Today is Daddy Gabe's 30th(!!!) birthday!! And Kendall and Mommy want to say a special happy birthday to a fabulous daddy and husband. In honor of Daddy Gabe turning old (Mommy reserves all rights to take jabs since she's 13 months older, which would make her 31), we want to let him know all the wonderful things about him for which we are so thankful. (I will refer to him as Daddy/Gabe considering context)

1. Daddy always has time for Kendall. And he is so good at caring for her, whether it be feeding (he knows bottles and baby food) or dressing (he gets her dressed and ready for church all by himself-including a hair bow-since Mommy leaves early).

2. Daddy loves to spend time with Kendall. They like to: play, read books, play flying baby, take walks, and swing.

3. Gabe prays daily for his daughter. Several things he prays for: That God would draw Kendall unto Himself, and set her apart for His glory. That she would have a different spirit, and that she would honor Him all her life through her words and actions.

4. Gabe provides for our family. He is hard-working, diligent and loyal.

5. Gabe saves money!! Occasionally Mommy gets frustrated, but she is very appreciative of Gabe's saving habits. He will always choose to do without something if it means providing what the family needs.

6. Gabe loves vegetables (and everything else Mommy cooks)! Weird, I know, but Mommy is health conscious and he sets a good example for Kendall. And he never complains.

7. Gabe is a godly man who seeks God above all else. He desires to honor Him and seeks His will for himself and our family. He is always studying so as to continue growing in wisdom and knowledge.

8. Gabe loves to laugh. Rarely a day goes by that we aren't laughing about something, usually just the small things in life that are really big.

9. Gabe loves God first, and his family second.

10. Gabe is content and happy with his life. And he is patient, kind and loving (even when Mommy sometimes runs short on these qualities.)

There are many reasons Kendall and Mommy are so grateful for this wonderful man God made just for our family. And we want to wish him a very happy birthday.

Below are some sweet pictures of Gabe and Kendall over the past 10 months-in reverse order. Oh well, not worried enough about it to fix it I guess. Enjoy...

Daddy Day

Gabe had the day off today - Confederate Memorial Day - who knew?? All we cared about was that he and Kendall would have a "Daddy Day". And, no, I didn't leave a to-do list such as laundry, bathroom cleaning or vacuuming (all of which need to be done by the way). Instead the list included: going to the park; buying Sophie some dog food (OK, that would be considered an errand, but poodles have to eat, too, right?); returning the baby tent to Babies R Us that I decided was not a necessity for our upcoming beach trip (OK, that also would be an errand, but Daddy Gabe is always excited about saving money so he jumped at the chance.); and coming to have lunch with Mommy.

I wanted Gabe to have quality time with his little girl. After all, it's not often that he gets her all to himself for the entire day. And since Kendall is becoming quite the Daddy's Girl these days, I figured they would both have a great time together.

A few weeks ago we had tried to take her to a park that I knew had baby swings. Correction: A BABY SWING. We arrived to this nice sized park to find about thirteen birthday parties coinciding simultaneously which accounted for the five hundred kids/parents all swarming the swings. We tried to hang around to "catch" a chance on the one coveted swing, but there was always some other daddy just a second faster than us, so we eventually gave up and left without a turn. Gabe and I were the only two upset; Kendall just seemed content in her stroller. So Gabe thought this would be the opportune time to venture back out. There was hardly anyone there so Kendall got the swing all to herself. And she and Daddy texted this picture to me.

OK, I preface this next part with a disclaimer. I HATE all those chain emails that warn of horrible things if it is not passed on to twenty-five people in the next sixty seconds, or promise instant wealth in the mail if the chain is unbroken. You will never find me forwarding them on. This one, though, came across my inbox yesterday, and I thought about it in light of Gabe and Kendall's day together. Gabe is an awesome daddy, and already does the things mentioned below, but it reminds us parents to keep all thing in perspective. Our children are truly our greatest blessing...

"Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer.. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more
day."

To my two sweethearts - I hope you had a wonderful day. I love you both immensely.

'Lil Bookworm

We should have known Kendall was bound to get the bookworm gene which runs all throughout both sides. She absolutely LOVES to read books. I'm impressed with her attention span already. Books and her Baby Einstein videos captivate her right now.

Her reading list has expanded to include about five different books. We read through almost all of them just about every night. As I mentioned in her Six Month entry, Sesame Street's At the Zoo tops her list, though. She squeals and laughs, and then either beats on the book or pulls it to her mouth.

Gabe and I both have this book (and several others) memorized by now. But, oh, how I cherish those minutes each night. I love when she sits in my lap (the only position in which to read!) and leans back against me. As soon as we pull out the "book drawer", she gets so excited. What a sweet time as we snuggle together and enjoy the stories. Such precious moments. I guess it reminds me of all the nights my dad used to read to me when I was growing up.

Playtime

Every night Gabe and I do our best to keep Kendall happy during her potential fussy time. Last night was so sweet. Gabe got down on the ground with her and they played together with her "gym" as we refer to it. There is a "Mr. Sun" at the top that lights up different colors. Gabe would point to each color as it changed and name them. Kendall was fascinated by this for over twenty minutes! I thought it was so sweet that I had to get a picture. Gabe's such a good Daddy!

Saturday Morning with Daddy

Kendall and Daddy let Mommy sleep this morning. (And I assure you it was much needed) And when Mommy woke up, this is what she saw. (Now, keep in mind my obsessive compulsive tendencies.)

A baby with a dirty face from eye boogers and a formula mustache.


Crooked socks. (Kendall must not take after her mother. That would drive me nuts.)


And Daddy and Kendall spending time together in the rocking chair.
Kendall seemed to have alot to say this morning, and she just smiled and smiled at her Daddy. (Unfortunately I have never captured it on film. The rascal gets cranky as soon as I get the camera out.) She didn't seem to be bothered by the "non-important details" and neither did Gabe. Which once again reminded me that life is to be lived in the moment. Some things can wait. Some things are just not priority. What was priority this morning was a father and his daughter spending time together. Kendall is getting to know her Daddy. She knows that her Daddy loves her. And the important lesson this morning was not "make sure socks are straight" or "remember to wash your face as soon as you eat" or even "I must be dressed cute every day". The lesson was "My Daddy makes time for me. My Daddy enjoys being with me. My Daddy loves me just the way I am." And if nothing much else gets done today it was a day well spent.

BUT, since we were going to Vicksburg to see Kendall's great-grandparents, Mommy did eventually tend to the details. After all, there is nothing wrong with details!