Afternoons with my sweet girl

I love the flexibility that teaching part-time and owning a business with my sister offers my family and me. Yes, during a busy week or at exam time, I feel like I’m working eight jobs, but most weeks I get to spend leisurely afternoons with Peaches hanging out at the house, running errands, and going on playdates.

HOWEVER, sometimes these afternoons I cherish so much are awfully hard. Every once in a while we have one of those days that make me wonder about full-time childcare. Yesterday was one of those afternoons. She didn’t want to color, or play with her dolls, or go on a walk, or eat her snack. Every diaper change was a wrestling match, buckling her into the car seat was like going to battle and parking lots? I am a runner and I was exhausted after covering the amount of asphalt we did yesterday. I hate that every afternoon can’t be all outside and bubbles and swings and dancing, but one of the blessings and curses of part-time childcare is that sometimes Molly has to run errands with me. Molly and I met Jim at the door yesterday evening, ready for a break from each other.

Today, though, more than made up for yesterday’s shenanigans. Molly was fully entertained – and entertaining – with a hat, one glove, and her doll pram. Then, she wanted to play with her stickers, so I got out a piece of paper and we cleared a sticker sheet. For each sticker, she would ask for a sticker with the sweetest “please,”  and then she would say, “tank you,” with a smile. Every once in a while, she would randomly lean in for a kiss.

Everything was going *so* well.

And then she needed a clean diaper.

Thankfully, Jim came home shortly thereafter.

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Happiness is…

…meeting a friend for a run {at 6:30 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. = bonus!}

…not rushing around to get out the door in the morning.

…sharing a scone with my husband and dancing toddler at Starbucks.

…realizing how happy a juice box can make a kid.

…watching my daughter watch the baby birds, mice, snakes, and birds at the Nature Museum.

…Molly not losing her sh*t while getting her hair cut.

…getting TWO free meals for lunch, thanks to coupons.

…spending an hour by myself running errands.

…talking to a friend on the phone.

…watching t.v. on the couch with my husband.

…going to the mall without a toddler. {I got to actually try things on and didn’t have to pick up raisins or a sippy cup from the floor – not even once.}

…wine tasting with husband and buying a few bottles for later.

…wearing lipstick and high heels.

…having a delicious meal at a new restaurant.

…sleeping soundly until 8:15 a.m.

…knowing my daughter (and my mom and dad) had a blast on their sleepover.

{Don’t be jealous, but that was my Friday.  It was awesome in every kind of way.}

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An Easter egg hunt, a black eye, and hanging pictures

Life with a toddler is crazy, y’all.  Especially when the toddler stops napping and starts waking up at 6 a.m. (although thanks to a sleepover at Nana’s, I think Molly is finally back on track!). Sweet Birdie’s Nest has had a very successful month, the spring semester is winding down which means essays to read and exams to create, and Molly had spring break at her preschool, so last week was booked solid with playdates and such. {We played with Andrea, Rae, and Tate; Jill and Casey; Jessica and Graham (twice!); Mandy and Devin; Alison and Samantha; Melissa and Violet; Jenny and Gray; Lauren and Drew; Jenny and Amelia; and met a new neighborhood friend, Andrew and his mom Kim.}  Also this month, we traveled to Ohio for a funeral – Papa, Jim’s grandfather, passed away on April 1.

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Thursday afternoon, Jessica and Graham hosted an Easter egg hunt.  Check out her blog and my feature on Sweet Birdie’s Nest for more pictures!

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Molly got her first black eye at school last week. She was a trooper, from what I was told, and since Renee picks Molly up from school on Thursdays, she sent me a text letting me know what to expect. It looked way worse on Friday, though, and was fully  healed in about a week. Gotta watch out for those bookcases, you know; they’ll surprise you every time.

{This picture was from Sunday, four days after she fell. She’s enjoying a Bojangle’s biscuit despite the black eye.}

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We painted the family room and hallway several weeks ago, {I chose the color on the right, for those of you that voted!} but life has been busy and we’re just now getting around to putting everything back in its place. I decided instead of a more structured gallery wall, I wanted to create something more eclectic, so we purchased a few new frames and scoured the house for some more wall frames and I’m trying to strike a balance that both Jim and I can live with.

I’ll be sure to share a photo of the final results once the project is complete!

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There’s lots more to catch up on, so hopefully I’ll be back soon with another post.  Happy Easter to you!

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