OH HAPPY DAY!

Okay, how exciting is this? (not to mention, cute)

Yep, that would be a sort of high pony tail in her mullet-head! AAAAAAAND yesterday I put in pigtails.....well sort of. But they're not TOO embarrassing I can't take her out in public with them. Wow, this is an exciting moment in my house......yes indeed it is.

And I would just like to share how.....um.....exciting it is to live w/ Aleeya. She was invited to a "Princess b-day party" and asked to dress up as one. Knowing full well she has PLENTY of options in that department, I sent her to her room to dress up as a princess so we could go.

Here is how she came out:

It's kind of a ghetto/rockstar/ballerina/scary princess look. Don't you think?

(and yes, I KNOW her tongue is LONG!)

So what did I do? I let her go like that, of course.....and let me tell you something.....she sure....um.....stuck out.

I've also been thinking a lot of the different stages of parenting lately. I'm noticing that it's easier in most aspects to have a newborn for me now because I know what to expect and how to get MOST of the results I'm after......but on the other hand, it's getting a little trickier.

Trickier for the reason that have now have “older” kids that have places to go and people to see. I remember after having Bronson, Camden, Emerson and Aleeya I could technically just hang out at home for as long as I wanted (anyone that knows me knows that it didn't happen like that, but in THEORY, I had the option to do that. ) Even after I had Iris, it was summer vacation, so I wasn't doing the school thing, but I WAS doing summer sports. So now when I have a baby, I will know more what's coming. Because afterall, the kids STILL have to go to school and be picked up, they STILL need to make it to basketball, piano, preschool, scouts and whatever else. (and all the kids get the great opportunity of coming as well) Some things were so simple then and I miss always having the family to myself, determining schedules, and really only leaving the house because I CHOSE to etc. Afterall, I've mentioned before I'm a minimalist right? Well, I like things simple.

Then I started thinking how this is JUST THE BEGINNING of all the events, activities and taxi-running for the next 20 years of my life. I know in 5-10 years I'll think back to THIS time and think how simple and nice it is that I have 4 sweethearts at home w/ me during the day, that I can always get a nap during the day if I wanted while they all nap, that even my oldest ones still like to snuggle me and have me rub their heads/backs/necks, that when I drop Bronson and Camden off at the bus stop I get the BIGGEST hugs and strongest ones known to man, that my kids are SO excited to see me when I pick them up, and that they all just LOVE newborn babies and help me out so much......and they actually are TRULY helpful.

I think that's why parenting is so fun, because EVERY stage has something so wonderful to offer and once it's over, it is definitely missed. However, thinking back to those times made me realize how precious this one is too. And we ALL need reminders like that every once and while.