Morning Cuddles

This is her favorite part of the day.
And likely his least.

It's the only time Ashlee can sneak in a hug or a cuddle.
Maybe even a kiss, if she's really lucky.

Ashlee thinks her brother is one of the coolest people in the world. He's usually too busy to pay much attention to her - other than to antagonize her and drive her crazy.

But for one small moment in time every morning, she has him all wrapped up in her arms!

Daddy/Daughter Dance 2016

There's my prom, er...future...in front of my eyes.

Recently, Ashlee has started having us introduce her as she walks down the stairs in a fancy outfit, with a fancy hair do or whenever she has a face full of makeup for cheer.

So, it came as no surprise when I caught her prancing down the stairs, like the princess that she is, to her "knight," awaiting her hand for the daddy/daughter dance Saturday evening.

She had been waiting forever for this night.

Really it was just a month or so, but when you're 6, it might as well have been a year.

She spotted the display at the gym the moment they put it out, and there was no way Justin was getting out of attending the dance. Not when they put a rabbit on the invitation from Alice in Wonderland and put up giant playing cards with faces.

They know how to get their audience! Hook, line and sinker.

With dinner served at the event, they rushed off to the dance (after a long day at a dance competition) to the party where they danced and took pictures for nearly 2 hours.

As usual they had an absolute blast! Ashlee was so excited to tell me that she "danced with daddy like we were married" when she got home, giggling as she reenacted it for me.

Unlike last year, she didn't ditch daddy for any friends, so they had a lot of dancing time together.

I'm sure the countdown is already on to 2017!

Rare Moments

That make me say awwww! 

Two minutes they weren't fighting, but watched "Survivor" together

Eye of the Beholder

As a mom to a little girl, I realize that things really are all butterflies, rainbows and unicorns.

Or stuffed animals, baby dolls, all things pink and Barbies.

On a recent outing to The Container Store - you didn't think I'd stay away too long did you? - I was perusing the kitchen section when I saw Ashlee nearly in tears in the cart.

She was delicately covering her mouth, saying "Oh. My. Goodness!"

She'd blink her eyes real hard and then cover her mouth again.

I thought she was having a Celiac reaction - like she was going to barf or something.

I asked her what in the world was wrong and she told me: 

"Your just ... your just so beautiful mommy!"

Say, what?!?

I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about until I realized she was looking at a picture on my phone. The kids look at my pictures almost daily so I didn't think too much about it, but her reaction was totally different than normal.

The picture: Justin and I on our wedding day.

I never realized she had never really seen a wedding picture before. Sure, there is one hanging up in the living room but it's always been there so she's probably never really paid much attention. And there is one in our upstairs hallway, but again, it's always been there so she probably doesn't give it a second look.

This one was new.

And she could see the tiara, the veil, the dress. The smiles.

She was in love with what she saw.

A bride! 

She loves all things wedding.

When she was about 2, I tried to put her in my wedding dress to recreate a picture I had seen on Pinterest. They said to photograph your daughter in your dress so you could have it out on the table at their wedding.

My dress is so heavy, I put it close to Ashlee and she freaked.

Maybe she is ready to become a "make believe" bride for a day? If anything she surely made my day with her reaction!

Deja Vu

I guess she loves both of us because we hug a lot?!?

I Love You Because...

Wordless Wednesday {He DOES Love Me}

*Tyler made this for Ashlee, melt

Wordless Wednesday {Mama, I'm Drawing You}

{Melt}

I was getting ready for a baby shower this evening and Ashlee was insistent on getting her nails painted.

Daddy to the rescue. 

This was his first time painting nails. Ever!

And he took it quite seriously.

She kept saying daddy, you are so, so good at this!

Moola for Mama

I came home from work to find this on the counter....

It's not unusual to find coins laying around our house {although they're quickly swiped by a child and placed into a piggy bank}, but dollars, well, they don't just lay around outside of daddy's wallet.

Justin asked if I had saw them?
Yes, but I didn't know what it was so I ignored it.

Ask Tyler.

Tyler had just won the B family football pool, earning himself a cool $25 or so, which Uncle Brett had paid him in a $20 bill and some ones on the way to the ISU/KU basketball game {you could have handed him a $1 instead of a $20 and he wouldn't know the difference. It's all a dollar to him!}.

After I had left for work, Tyler had carefully laid out the ones - for me - on the counter. He took them out of his wallet - the same one he so excitedly asked Santa for - and was sharing them with me.

'cause mom you never have any money

Melt. How sweet is that?

I mean, I do have money. It's a tactic I use when I don't want to give him money to waste in a video game at a restaurant. Or when I truly don't have money - aka cash - because I know Justin has money so I don't need mine.

The weight of words....again. My sweet, sweet boy.

My Knight

This is an odd story, but it's true. Believe it or not.

Last night at the gym, some little kid started hitting me. For no reason.

And, I'm talking, jumping and trying to punch me in the face {when I went to get the kids after my workout}.

He was probably 3 or 4, something like that.

At first, I thought he just wanted me to talk to him, so I did, but he kept doing it.

Then I told him to stop (without touching him even though he's continually hitting me).
Then I told him that's not a nice way to make friends.

Next thing I know, Tyler runs off the basketball court, shoves this kid and says "LEAVE MY MAMA ALONE!"

Whoa!! My knight in shining armour {even though he probably shouldn't have shoved the kid, even though he then went after Tyler who ignored him}.

I wonder what would have happened if he would have touched Ashlee?

The teacher wondered what was going on. I was explaining about the "naughty little boy" when the ball rack fell over on a child. They had other things to deal with. The gym, it's always an adventure.

Hold My Hand...

Yesterday, Tyler, Ashlee and I made a quick trip up to Des Moines to see my friends and my dad. This was the first time we've met baby Coen, Nikki and Klas' son, who was born just before Christmas. We also got to see Ellie, Amanda and Jason's daughter who's 10 months old (we last saw her when she was a month old!). It was awesome catching up with my friends and having the kids play together (Tyler wouldn't let us take pics of him and the "babies"). We even found Ashlee and Coen sharing a "special moment" and holding hands, all by themselves:

Perhaps she's found her future boyfriend! Nikki and Klas would be awesome parents-in-law, hehe!!

3...and already been kissed

Tyler had his first kiss yesterday at school!! I just had to giggle as the teacher came out to tell me about the lunchtime escapade, which apparently was initiated by Sarah (Tyler's liked her for awhile). According to Ms. Tami:

Tyler was walking by Sarah in the lunch room when Sarah goes "Tyler!" and puckers up. Tyler then went over and kissed her square on the lips.

Sarah's mom giggled when she heard it too but hoped her daughter had only kissed him on the cheek. Looks like we might have our hands full with these two....who will go to the same elementary school as Sarah lives in our neighborhood :) Wonder what the future holds? :)

Awww Moment

I had a really bad headache today, which I guess will only get more and more common with this stupid malformation I have. Anyway, I was laying in bed, dying, when Tyler asked me to take him to bed (he likes me to take him to bed again, wohoo!) I asked if daddy could do it as I didn't feel good....Tyler bent down, kissed me on the forehead and asked if I was all better?

Awww.....

Then his bossiness came out and he told me to "Come On." haha