L'Shana Tova!

Sam started Sunday school last week, which focused on Rosh Hashana. She came home with a shofar, albeit a plastic one. She was beyond excited to welcome the new year, partly because she was allowed to blow it inside Friday night at home and Saturday night at Nana and Papa's. She was quite the performer, ensuring every one's silence and waiting for everyone to look at her prior to "sounding the horn". Samantha also took it to preschool Friday morning for show and tell. I was told by her teacher that she relished her moment and I'm glad she did!


I'm waiting for pictures from Ben, but I hope to post some soon!

Truffles and a birthday

For my birthday this year, I didn't plan on too much. Daddy got me an iPhone, which the entire family is enjoying. I'm usually at the tail end of a trend, but I'm loving it because it's practical too! On my birthday, Auntie She came by to color my hair and it was a typical workday. At work I received a box of chocolates which was yummy, but nothing compared to what I came home to. Sam and Daddy went to a chocolate shoppe and got me a dozen truffles - scrumptious truffles that Sam and Sofie were generous enough to help me eat over the next week. They got me flowers which were beautiful. Daddy and I also headed to the restaurant where we had our first date 7(!) years ago the following weekend.

The pictures are from a while back, but they are still relevant!

I am blessed beyond my comprehension and so grateful to have another birthday with my family!

1st day of preschool (kindergarten) and makeup

Sam is going to preschool (with the kindergarten curriculum) 5 full days a week now. She just completed her first week and loves it. Her friends were just as happy to see her and missed her over the summer! It was quite the reunion to see. Daddy and I could not be more proud of our eldest! The first day she informed her teachers repeatedly that she did not want to be called "Sammy" any longer, that they should address her as "Samantha" (please). Hilarious! Then, when it was her turn for show and tell, she told her class to be quiet and listen to her. Her teacher said that Samantha was not mean or whiny, but very assertive and gave a wonderful presentation of her Care Bear, the drawer from her dollhouse that she uses as a Care Bear holder and the family photos I sent along with her. I told Sam that I was very proud of her that she spoke up for herself and mentioned to her teacher that we try to teach assertiveness as often as possible.

Since my daughter is maturing so fast and has been asking to try makeup (which is scary on a different level), I thought it would be fun to play makeup. Life is better when you get to have free expression!

Sam decided that painting her entire face with red lipstick would be fun (and it really was)!

The results of our efforts.

Everything returned to normal when we finally got it off and no one was harmed in the removal of red lipstick!

I tell her every day that I'm very proud to be Samantha's mom and it is so true. She is amazing!

I am a little frightened by how fast she's growing up though... yikes!

Keeping up with friends

I admit to being a bit imbalanced lately. Yes, you can insert your own comment there. I haven't been keeping up with my friends enough or at all. Close friends that I haven't seen in months and that I miss terribly. It's been over 4 months since I began working full-time and I still don't feel like I am managing my time well. My life is family and work as of late which means that I haven't been giving the necessary attention to my friends and I can feel that things are not as they should be with me.

A piece of advice for my girls... Life is a journey, not a destination. Aim for progress and not perfection. Balance is the key to happiness. You can name all the cliches you want, but the bottom line is this: You alone are responsible for how you feel and you alone are responsible to take care of meeting your own needs. That means only you can give yourself what you need. For example, I need to carve some time out with my friends. I will arrange my schedule to accommodate my need(s), help my family with their needs and be successful at my job. It is what I need to do to feel better because I am happier when I am a (relatively) balanced person!

State Fair 2009

Yesterday we headed for our annual trip to the State Fair. Sam was developing a cold, so we didn't stay long or complete all of our usual traditions. We also didn't eat that much and I resisted the urge for a deep-fried banana split. We did visit the Kidway, so the girls enjoyed a few rides. We went through the Eco-experience building, pet animals at the Miracle of Birth center and got to know a demanding horse named Magic at the horse barn. Both

Lessons Daddy and I learned for next year: Go in the morning, plan on a map a general route and we're going stroller-free!

Foods we ate this year: Cheese curds, unlimited chocolate milk, French fries, corn dogs on a stick, smores and Italian sausage.

Tzedakah

Tzedakah (za-dak-ah) is essentially giving back, volunteering or charity work.

One of the things that I am passionate about teaching my kids is gratitude. I want them to appreciate what they have and understand that not all kids get two parents that love them and can afford to care for them. My girls are extremely blessed to have a close relationship with their grandparents and other friends and family.

This year we sponsored a girl who is about to start kindergarten and needed school supplies. Daddy got the supplies while Sam and I picked out some options for a first day outfit. She asked some questions about why we were doing this and why it was needed and I did my best to explain it. I talked about when I lost my job earlier this year and told her that lots and lots of people are not able to find jobs like I did. Daddy and I are both starting to talk to her about money as well.

Here she is with the end result of our combined efforts...