Cheer on!

My baby girl attended her first football game Friday night!  She was the star attraction!  

Terrific 2

Joss had an early bday celebration on June 7th.  Everyone that mattered came and showered my little girl with love.  It was a beautiful and perfect Minnie Mouse party!

No time for the blues

Yesterday was Jossy's first day of daycare ever.  She transitioned like a champ.  No tears and all smiles for her new teacher and classmates!  I teared up on the way to my training, but a huge weight was lifted.  I have been so afraid that she would freak out at daycare and would have a difficult time with the structure.  She actually loved it.  In retrospect, I should have known that she would move into this phase with ease, as she always has transitioned well.  She has also settled in very well to our apartment in GA.  She is happy.  She is thriving and where we are together is always home!

In a flash

On June 20th my baby turned 2.  Her day was spent in Maine jumping at the Maine jump, eating icecream, and running through the lupin!

North bound

In between moving to GA, (June 13-26), we took a little road trip to Maine with Uncle Troy and Grammy.  It was a long ride, but we had some fun along the way!  We chilled in the North GA mountains, reunited with Auntie and Uncle Billy, and visited Grampy's grave.  It was an unforgettable time with family!

Life's a beach!

May fun at the beach with good friends!

Mother's Day!

Mother's day 2014!  

Lego my ego

Jossy went to Legoland and had a great time with Mommy, Corey, Annabelle, and Isabelle!  May 10, 2014.  She got a ton of attention for her sassy little outfit!

Love thy neighbor

Sweet Time

James had his 5th bday yesterday.  Joss is 21 months and had a great time at the party!

My good luck charm

Hope Floats

My baby girl amazes me everyday.  If only I were more diligent about writing about it!  Today, she accurately pointed to the color pink and knew just what to do when I told her to wash her knees at bath time.  She puts her trash in the garbage without being asked and croons to the beat of the Mickey Mouse Club theme song.  She is pure spirit!

I am always filled with such an overwhelming mixture of feelings.  There is pride, worry, love, awe, frustration, fear,  responsibility, amusement, and the list goes on and barely scratches the surface.  

Today, I feel panicked about my child care needs for her next year.  How will I ever succumb to the idea that strangers will be responsible for her well-being and safety?  I am certain I won't.  And as a single mom, I am in this alone and for the first time I'm terrified.  How will I pick her up? Drop her off?  Pay the Bills?  Assure her happiness and safety?  Work full time?  Juggle all of the last minute things that come up?  People say it will work out.  Of course it will.  But that won't keep the fear from looming.  When my mother leaves I am absolutely all this little girl has and I can't let her down.  I refuse to.

My funny valentine!

Sea monster

I took my baby to Sea World today.  She loved it, even with skipping her nap.  She was a happy little sea monster!

My Gemini!

Josslyn says please and thanks now.  I am so pleased and so relieved at the same time!  My wild child is learning manners!  I'm going to definitely file this under the win column.  I won't mention that she's started dumping her milk out on purpose or climbs on the counters!  At least she will be a polite menace!

Luck of the draw

It's a new year and my Christmas vacation from work comes to a close tomorrow.  It has been so nice to just relax with Josslyn at home.  She had a little cough this week and the weather has been quite balmy (for FL) that we spent most of our time watching the Disney channel, playing with new toys, and taking long naps!

We had such a peaceful holiday.  Joss is talking up a storm and really seems to understand so much.  She throws her wrappers in the trash and cheerfully climbs the stairs when it's time for bed or a nap.  She also knows how to play her momma and Grammy like a deck of cards!

If I haven't said it before or enough, I feel so lucky and chosen to be this child's momma!  In the game of life, I was definitely dealt a straight royal flush!

My Ham

Lines and circles

I have never been a fan of straight lines.  I am not a believer in the linear philosophy of life and death, or manifested beginnings and endings.  I see life more as a circle, a continuous loop of trials and error, triumphs and defeats, growth and regression.  We never really know exactly where we are in orbit, only that we will continue to spin, sometime by our own will, sometimes by undeniable gravitational force, known to me as a higher power.

So every year as people say good-bye to one year and all their bad habits and displeasures and make resolutions, I am always a little confused as why a calendar month makes all that much of a difference.  From my past and others, I have learned not to put much stock in New Year's Resolutions.  But that being said, I do believe in goal setting and reflection and think any time is a good time to pause and decide how we want our energy to propell us in orbit.  Here's what I learned in my 2013 loop:

1.  Nothing can make you feel more like a grown up than a death of a parent.

2.  Motherhood is incredibley joyous and weighted with a burden of constant guilt.

3.  Movement is freedom.

4.  There is nothing more important than the connection of family and friends.

5.  We are constantly having to reinvent ourselves and challenge our systems of belief.

Goals:

1.  Run a 5K.

2.  Make it to Maine to celebrate a good friends 40th birthday.

3.  Improve my health.

4.  Successfully transition Josslyn into pre-school.

5.  Research my family history.

I'm sure I will have new lessons and new goals, perhaps as early as tomorrow.  We don't begin and end with a changing of a month or year, but we do adjust for the seasons of our life and each winter and time in the sun serves a purpose.  Sometimes we learn our first time around, other times it takes several rotations before we even know there is a lesson to be learned.  Round and round we go, where we stop, no one knows.

Merry Christmas

Naughty and Nice

This is Josslyn's 2nd Christmas.  My baby turned 18 months a couple of days ago and is all about mischief this holiday. She loves taking the ornaments off the tree and throwing presents on the floor.  Tonight she even tore through the stocking I made for her Grammy.  She hasn't quite grasped the idea of unwrapping or Santa, yet.  She does like to sing along with Christmas carols and pull the bows off of presents. Next year will bring a whole new level of understanding and I can't wait to capture her joy.

We have spent some time doing Christmas things.  We went to Celebration with the Barrett's to see snow and ride on a horse-drawn carriage.  She cried most of the time but at least I have the memory.

We have Christmas shopped and gone for walks at dark so she could see the lights.  I dressed her up in a Santa dress and took her picture.  

She is such a blessed child and such a blessing.  Although her moods and fits can drive me crazy, I am so grateful she is here to remind me that I have everything I want.  All else really is whip cream and cherries.