leap year 2012

I wish I was having a baby today.
I wish that I could have a leap year baby! Today was my last chance. If I haven't had a 2nd child in 4 more years, I'll be over having a 2nd child period. It would just be such a cool birthday! Something to really celebrate when it came around! 4 years is a long time to wait for a birthday party. I kid.. I wouldn't make my baby wait every 4 years for a party. I like cake & ice cream too much for that.

I have no idea what I was doing on the other 7 leap years I've been around for. In fact, I've never really thought anything different about February 29th, except that it is Mrs. Mostiller's {elementary music teacher} birthday. Happy 16th{?} Birthday, Mrs. Mostiller. Today is a pretty good Leap Year day. Going to dinner tonight with a new friend {and Michel} to celebrate this extra day in February with sangria and chips & dip.

For anyone stuck at home tonight you can celebrate too:

Leap Year Cocktail
- 1 oz gin
- 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
- 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
- squeeze of lemon
- Shake over crushed ice, pour into chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a slice of lemon or orange.


Happy February 29th!

xoxo,
Cadence

Letters to Amelia

Amelia, 

Last night when we put you down for bed you sang your version of "Pat-a cake" for about an hour. Your version goes like this..

"Pat a cake pat a cake bakers man ROLL it, put it in the pan!" Short and sweet. :)

I sat there and watched you sing for at least 5 minutes and when I called your daddy in you really hammed up for him. Giggling between every word. Your facial expressions when you got to the "roll it" part was my favorite.

We went to Free Pancake Day at IHOP this morning before school, and for the first time in a long time you behaved and sat in your seat {for the most part}!! Woohoo!! Maybe Daddy will start taking us out to eat again.

Things I love about you right now:

The way you said "hey friends" to some kids in Target.
The way you say "mommy" 500 times a day.
You said "bye Michel" to your Auntie when leaving Gi's house!
The way you trust me to not let go of your hands when you grab mine and lean backwards off the couch.
The look on your face when we took you in the pet store before getting frozen yogurt yesterday. 
When I catch you with your baby dolls up on your shoulder while you bounce up and down saying "shh shh shh".

iPhone pictures collage

I REALLY love that in 20 days I will get to experience the most magical place on Earth with you! Look out Disney, Hurricane Amelia coming through.

Love,
Your Momma


* For anyone who missed my first Letter to Amelia, this is my way of documenting her growing up. I failed at the baby book, and will someday have these letters made into a book for her. If you want to read more Letters at the bottom of these posts they are labeled Letters to Amelia - you can click there to pull up all the letters I've written to her.

jonesin' fridays

I would love to redo Amelia's bathroom with this canvas collection.

LOVE these heels!

These eggs would be so cute in Amelia's Easter basket, and we could easily reuse them for years!

 

I want these ridiculously cute/over-priced shorts so very badly. Maybe I'll catch them on the sale rack in a few months!

Have a great weekend!!

xoxo,

Cadence

finding your happy place

I learned sad news this weekend about four brave airmen who lost their lives in Africa. I know it happens all the time, but it was more real to me this time after meeting one of their wives in my Junior League Provisional class. My heart broke for her. With me being the overly emotional person that I am, I can't handle news like this very well. So I tried very hard to surround myself with happy things, and then I feel guilty for enjoying happy things while the families of the soldiers are hurting so badly. It's a vicious cycle in my heart. The worst part to me is that soon I will forget to think about them and their families every day, and the recovery for the families is so much harder. So much longer. Military wives deserve the utmost respect.

My happy places I go to in times like these are blogs, magazines, Everybody Loves Raymond {seriously increases my mood by 99%} and spending time with Amelia & Adam. I wonder what other people do to distract their minds from worry, fears, anxiety?

My favorite happy place:

I made these chocolate chip cookie-oreo-brownies yesterday. You know, since it was Fat Tuesday. No, I'm not giving up chocolate, cookies, sugar, sweets, etc. for Lent. I would just be setting myself up for failure. I'm actually going to be giving up any kind of automatic settings on my camera. Straight manual shooting. No Av, no Tv. Forcing myself to learn all that I can about my camera. I can do this{?}.

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo,

Cadence

jonesin' fridays

Jonesin' for this week:

Sunny Days

Colorful throw pillows

Minnie Mouse shoes 
for Amelia to wear on our trip in March

We are having company over for dinner tonight so I better get to cleaning so Adam can do the cooking! ;-)

Happy Friday!!

xoxo,
Cadence

Letters to Amelia

Dear Amelia,

There are so many things I love about you right now, but here are some that especially make me smile.

1.} The way you call snacks "nacks".
2.} The way you love to do front rolls.
3.} Hearing you say "sickers" {stickers} in your most excited voice.
4.} The way you trace your hands when I give you a pen & paper.
5.} Laying on the couch with you.
6.} Eating popsicles with you at your little table. {Even though you always steal mine.}
7.} The way you love to show your dad your outfit and shoes when I get you dressed.
8.} The way you sniff when you see flowers.
9.} You know I am your safe place when you are sad, hurt, or scared.
10.} The look on your face when you hold Poppy.

I do not love that you are scared of monsters right now thanks to Caillou. Although, it is pretty cute when you say "monstehs".

And I also love the way you give eskimo kisses and sing "Winnie the Poot, Winnie the Poot". :)


Some people care too much, I think it's called love.
Winnie the Pooh

Love you more than you know,
Momma

valentines day 2012

 

Amelia had her first Valentine's Day party at school. The very top picture was her Valentine she handed out with a Dove chocolate heart attached. It's so cute that she received Valentines today, and I can't wait for her to look back at them one day.

Adam and I had mex for lunch. And I made heart shaped brownies. And it's sunny and beautiful outside. Today has been an awesome Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

xoxo,
Cadence

happy monday!!

I am happy that it's Monday. That's right...no Monday blues here. Probably because yesterday was the longest, most boring day we have ever had as a family. Amelia woke up on the wrong side of the bed, it was freezing outside and there is no Chuck E. Cheese close by for us to get the heck out of the house. What on earth do people do when they can't get outside and play with their kids?! We were going stir crazy. Cabin fever, if you will. Anyways, this week Monday for me means life - Valentine's party for Amelia at school, doctor appointments, working for Loughtide Beach Weddings, heart shaped pizza tomorrow night with my valentines, concert and dinner in Pensacola Wednesday night {for a late Valentine's date night}, gymnastics field trip & Junior League Thursday and finally dinner with friends this weekend. Phew. I just don't know how much more coloring, Caillou, block building and whiny fits I can take. In long stretches anyways. Bring on the week!!

We took Amelia to buy some goldfish today. She's as happy as a clam when she remembers they are here, but it's funny how short the attention span of an almost-two-year old is. Two minutes {at the most} and she is over it.

Meet ______ & _______.

They have no names. Suggestions?? Amelia has no understanding of naming pets, and just calls them pish. I'm afraid Oscar, the kitty, is going to come up with his own plans for the fish.

I will post Amelia's e-Valentine tomorrow! Adam is probably really surprised that I haven't bombarded him with things he can buy me for Valentine's Day. This year it will mostly be about the time together and our date night on Wednesday. He's off the hook this year. Although if he didn't have school so early then flowers, coffee in bed, a yummy breakfast, a sweet card with all the reasons he loves me... and so on would be nice too. There's always next year! ;-)

Happy Monday!

xoxo,
Cadence

jonesin' fridays

So here are some things I am jonesin' for this week!

Camping. Wait, let me clarify..

In one of  these guys. 

That looks like this inside!

&

Ree Drummond's newest cookbook!

& this 

Seahorse necklace

 

Amelia has to get two shots today! One that will make her feverish and feeling blah. Dreading the whole day. Suckers and Reese's will be accompanying us on our trip to the doc {suckers for her, Reese's for me}.

I'm off to drop Amelia's Valentine's off at the post office. 16 going out in the mail, 10 for school and one for Gi & Pots and Michel & Jake. My hand was aching from all that writing!

Happy Friday!!!

xoxo,

Cadence

will you be mine?

I finished Amelia's Valentine cards for friends, family and classmates today. I really want to post a picture on here, but a lot of the people reading this will be receiving a card. Don't want to spoil it!! I will post it Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon when I am sure they have all seen it, but here is a link to my inspiration. I am really proud of myself for finishing a project. Amelia's not easy to photograph, and I didn't get the perfect pose/lighting/smile - but it's pretty freaking cute. When you finish one project you want to keep going! I am going through my Pinterest tonight, and I want to do something once a week. Recipe, craft, game with Amelia, letter to a friend, organize my sock drawer, 4 minute workout. Something! I can do this!

I got my hair cut and colored today. Love my new hairdresser! I got a pretty awesome hand massage while I waited for my color to process. It's pretty short and has awesome color.

My friend Caroline sent me the sweetest present in the mail yesterday with a card that read "you deserve it!". Good friends are hard to come by, and I am lucky to have some of the greatest!! My new locket came in today. I am all good in the jewelry department these days!

OK, laundry calls.

Hope everyone had a great Wednesday!

xoxo,
Cadence