embarrassing story #1

I knew that it would happen.
My parents have a slew of stories about my sister and me and how much we embarrassed them out in public. Truth: most of those stories were of Sarah doing the embarrassing....actually....I'm fairly certain ALL of those stories were of Sarah.

I digress....

I always knew it would happen. I have been blessed with a mostly very happy, very friendly, coy and flirty little babe, especially out in public. And so, I haven't really had a terrible we-are-leaving-this-store-right-now meltdown, and she just started stringing words together enough for her non-mommy and non-daddy relatives to finally understand. Thus, I thought I had a little more time. Just say'in. Wrong.

Cue story #1....

We are out to dinner at a favorite pizza place...my parents, my sister, and the babe and me. It is 2 hours post-bedtime. Babes is bordering freak-out mode, and after one injury-induced meltdown, and mommy's scolding about how we can not, in fact, leap from her high chair to her grandmother like a little flying squirrel, I attempt to distract.

mommy (wide eyed and feigning excitement): Avonlea, would you like to take a bath tonight or a shower with mommy in the morning???
* internal dialogue: please say shower, please say shower...its so late and (mommy needs a break) you need to go to bed. *

avonlea (thoughtful):..... hmm...shower...mommy.

m: good answer! remember the last time we took a shower, and we played with your alphabet letters in the tub?

a: yes.
*pause*
*pause*
and i wash mama's BUTT.

m: *blink...blink*
yes.
*pause*
yes. you did wash mommy's butt.

a: and 'gina!

m: *huge blink, stifling laughter as Avonlea beams with pride*
yes. yes, you did wash mommy's vagina. thank you. and thank you for sharing that.


there was a lot of oh-my-god-i-cant-breathe-from-laughing-so-hard minutes after that little gem.

let the fun begin!

and oh we will be a'bloomin'....

The babe is getting bigger. Soon, I wont be able to call her "the babe", and she will become "the girl". My heart already breaks for that change.
Things have been....I don't even know what to call them. Let's just say that we have all been getting used to things and this new way of life. And in the sadness, I haven't felt like taking many photographs.

Until spring came and whispered it's warm breath upon us last week, even with the sleepy snow still on the ground.
So, the babe and I went outside, sans jackets, to splash a bit in the puddles and revel in the sweet smell of wet earth and emerging crocuses.

When I uploaded the photographs tonight, I realized that I still had christmas photographs that I hadn't even looked at yet. And so I will share my two favorites of the babe, although there are some fine family moments on that upload. Maybe we will save those for another day.

We need a little spring in these parts... it's time to wash away the winter and melt away the snow and ice.
It's time for new beginnings.
New roots with gorgeous blooms.

*and oh, there will be some gorgeous bloomin' going on in these parts*

It's time.

We're getting there. We are holding our own, don't you worry about us.
And we feel these soft winds of love that you keep blowing our way. And it gets us through the hard days. And it gets us through the amazing days. So, thank you.

And so I say goodnight...it's time to get some sleep....I hear there's some sunshine coming our way.

:)