Happy 3rd Birthday!

Sorry to keep you all waiting to hear about Ali's birthday. It was two days of cooking for an hour an a half of party. heh. It was a good day. Today is the first day I've felt like we've not had to run around to get something done, today.. is a good day. :D

Right off the start we were celebrating Ali's special day. I had the camera ready to go and Mark had rigged up Ali's bedroom door with balloons.

Uncle Ron and Aunt Gail had given Ali her birthday present early. The card had a picture of a cake in the shape of a three with flowers on it. I was determined, if nothing else, Ali would get her cake! I found hard icing flowers that looked the same as on the card on ebay, and Pinterest had a link to instructions to build a number three using round cake pans. It's been a looooong time since I've baked a cake, so Saturday morning after I followed the pictures on the box to add the ingredients and I poured the batter into one round cake pan. Can anyone guess what happened? Anyone? Well, if I had kept going with the directions I would've seen I should've used TWO round cake pans. Whatta mess! I was still determined, so into town I went to get some oven cleaner and another box of cake mix. Voila! Special thanks to Mark for cleaning the oven as I got Ali down for a nap.

I think I did pretty well, all things considered!

A few days prior, we received a parcel from Gramma and Pops, a parcel full to the brim and super heavy. Ali and I Skyped with Gramma and took what felt like the entire afternoon to upack all the goodies. It was a treasure chest that included a tailored princess dress with a wand and tiara to go with it, a tutu and tons of toys and fun goodies and more more more!

After a visit with Courtney and Leroy and before the guests arrived we had a short condensed cupcake celebration with Oma and Opa.

Then it was time to celebrate with friends! Madison and Lily, and Ashley and Lauren. Uncle Matt and Cindi came for the night too!

It was so fun celebrating Ali's birthday with her. It's a gift to share growing up with her and with all of you too. Ali has grown into a caring, curious lively little girl. She's the first to offer comfort when anyone close cries or hurt.

First day of Preschool

Today was Ali's first day of preschool and all went well. She's been looking forward to school since I volunteered to be on the board. Mind you, going to sit and play during a board meeting isn't the same as going for school, which Ali realized today.

I was there the whole 2 hours, but I was outside the room helping to process paperwork and forms. Ali was there the whole 2 hours, but she was outside the room for the beginning...until she saw the other kids leave the room to go for a tour. Her leaving them was her decision, but them leaving her... she'd have none of it. So she ambled off after the group and was content from there on in!

Yes, I got her a little sophisticated, I dare say nerdy, outfit for the first day. I cute blouse sweater vest, in pink of course, and a pink and black plaid skirt to match! Notice the new smile? It's her photo smile.

These are too cute not to share. She just gets cuter and cuter I tell ya. She was even kinda cute tonight, the second night of not wanting to go to bed. One more hug, one more song...

I got her to sing a song for you! It's the swing song, and one I made up on the fly at the beginning of the year. She likes it...

This one is Ali helping Momma knit her scarf. If you miss it..it's got hearts on it. 

Squeezing in the last of summer

What a week! We were busy doing last minute things to get ready for preschool starting on the 17th, getting some birthday shopping for the little princess and a few other things thrown in to keep me hopping and from thinking too much. That means you'll have to settle for lots of pictures instead of an introspective ramble from the Momma.

Last weekend was our neighborhood's annual mini golf and BBQ. Neighbors create their own mini golf holes and put them in their driveway, or garage or yard and all of us wander around with putters and take scores. Last year we didn't make it golfing but crashed the BBQ. This year I didn't think we were going to make it either. Ali and I were a little out of character after Mark working just over two weeks of 12 hour days and then being home for just over a week. We were kinda out of sorts. I'm happy to say Ali and I made it to all the mini golf holes with KeeKee.

It's becoming a tradition to get a picture of Ali and KeeKee at the BBQ!

On Wednesday the Momma had a short meet and greet with a new doctor and Ali stayed with Ashley and her Mom for a few hours. All was good, it seems Ashley loves doing Alexiss's make up and Ali loves being pampered and attended to.

The next day we had a visit from Ali's friend Jack. Ali had to..err..use the facilities. I closed to door to give her some privacy and so the stink would kinda stay in the bathroom. But Jack had other plans. It was too quite so I went to see where Jack was. Seems he was keeping Ali company and Ali didn't mind at all. Kids are amazing! 

Today was a family BBQ hosted by Mark's work. We had a ball, inflatable jumpy house and slides, sno-cones, popcorn, cotton candy, a clown that did balloons and a dunk tank. Yes, Mark was voluntold to participate and be a dunkee..sorry no picture.

Excuse me, is that a butterfly on your cheek?

The crowned princess is starting to fizzle out a bit.

Playin in the yard

Sorry this one's sideways, but it's too cute to not share.

It's my favorite

Quotes of the week:

"Hello, one golf ball, where arrre youuu?"

"It's my favorite".... everything is Ali's favorite this week.

"I'm Dora Fluttershy Cat" or "I'm Princess Fluttershy Cat"

Today we went to the splash pad park in Strathmore, if only I tried it out earlier in the summer!!!! We weren't planning on it, so Ali put her pretend towel on my shoulder and ran off in her clothes. By the end of it, she was totally soaked, so our Princess Fluttershy Cat rode home nekkid!

Sorry for the whoosh of wind, it's been a windy day.

The art of apology

Being the person I want my child to become is harder than I'd imagined. We all know what's right and wrong but we all carry baggage and personality traits that harbor irritation at some things. Why should we expect our children to be any different and why do we expect them to be what we cannot?

What a life lesson our children teach us! How many character flaws come to light when a sweet innocent child makes us more aware of how we are seen outwardly in society?

What's becoming more obvious is the art of saying sorry without shame and self-detriment and with a feeling of empowerment. Everyone makes mistakes. We are all perfectly ourselves but we are not perfectly kind, patient and always loving. Making mistakes is a part of learning, apologizing is a part of showing respect and a way to show kindness when our initial reaction fails us.

I've always known my initial thoughts are sometimes judgmental and harsh, it's the reason I don't always share my first thoughts. The more I talk to others, the more they acknowledge first thoughts aren't always the nicest and are not what they really end up thinking. I believe it's our second thoughts and third thoughts that are who we really are, it's unfortunate society usually sees and reacts to our first thoughts only. Those close to us, those who ask questions, those who have patience to see through it are those who know us best. That, to me, is a part of loving someone.

So, I wish to help Ali learn the art of apologizing without feeling bad about herself, but also to learn from it and possibly not have to keep saying sorry for the same thing. Tough order if you ask me. I guess on the other hand, it's also important to teach how to accept apologies without making the other person feel shame.

The first step, I think, is to know what happened and what we are really saying sorry for then accepting that we made a mistake and make peace with it. Then the hard part, approaching the person to say sorry to because let's face it, that person could get high on their horse and take that apology and make you feel even worse by telling you what you should've done or why what you did is "bad". I choose to let others choose, and own, their own reactions, I can only control me, they have their own issues and while it effects me, it's not a part of me. A quote I love is "I'm only responsible for what I say not for what you understand." I do my part to be okay with me and my behavior and know that I'm doing all I can to be a good person. That's all a girl can do really. 

The other shoe is to accept apologies gracefully, without blame. I don't know if that's something I'm good at doing honestly. I mean, if you make someone feel worse while they are trying to own up to something, do you really think they're going to open up to you? Some may, but some may just kinda shut down and feel worse about themselves. Not cool, and not the intent of an apology. I think the best reaction would be to thank the person and be kind, end of story. There's a time for talking through issues and fights, but I don't think this is the time, considering the already heightened feelings, guilt and self righteousness. I may be wrong on that account though, I'll have to give it a bit more thought.

Accepting an apology does mean forgiving, it does not mean you have to continually put yourself in the same position over and over again with the same person. I know as a human we are supposed to love all our fellow neighbors, but I'm going to throw a big "but" in there.  There are people we just don't see eye to eye with and that's okay. No need to be unkind but perhaps if you can't deal with your reasons and hold back it's best to leave well enough alone and live and let live.

That's not snow...or hail.

So I couldn't put this with the other thoughtful post, it just didn't seem right.

Today I had a neighbor come by to look at yarn. At first Ali was a peach and helped "stock" my shelves. When that was done, she was bored. I resorted to distraction through the iPad after she mentioned Toopee and Binoo (a cartoon). A few minutes later I'd realized that Ali did indeed leave the room and let me talk to my neighbor buuuuuuut I wasn't hearing Toopee being silly. Yep, that silence that every mom knows. I peeked my head around the corner to an open back door. What I found was an indoor cat wandering around outside and having to step over a full bag of dumped out bird seed on the porch. Ali was keeping herself busy sitting in her upside down and opened Hello Kitty umbrella playing with the bird seed she'd dumped in it.

(Birdseed has hence been cleaned up, the cat is in the house, I made a sale and everything is back as it was.)