a true Southern girl

Last night my friend, Emily, came over to hang with the babes and me. Emily and I are both from the South, so I'm positive the ever-appropriate and convenient "y'all" was thrown around quite a bit. While we were talking, Ella "plugged" in her microphone - obviously getting ready to perform.

Sure enough, she turned to us and inquired, "Can I sing for yah?"

She's listening. She's learning. She's almost there. Her daddy will NOT be happy to read this post. And I am more than happy to post it.

Yes. Yes she is.

note to self

Make most certain that the child-locks to my lower cabinets really do keep my two year old out of them. Otherwise she may go into the kitchen while you blissfully remain in the living room. When you realize her (relatively) lengthy absence (accompanied by strange clinkings), you will call to her and ask what she's been doing. After a few seconds of rustling, she will peek her head around the corner and announce she's been eating. "Eating syr(ee)up."

And you will then go into the kitchen not quite sure what to expect. The lower cabinet door will, indeed, be open (remember, you have GOT to double-check those locks) and sitting neatly on the shelf will be two little Cracker Barrel syrup bottles. One completely empty. The other on its way to being so.

You will look on the floor. Not a drop. You will look on your child's face. Just a hint of it around her lips and a dot at the base of her throat. You will realize she really, truly drank all of that syrup in the span of about six minutes (taking the time to put the caps back on when you summoned her).

There will be only one solution in your panicked mind. Make her run laps around the house. NOW. And for the next twenty minutes straight. Your only thought will be to ward off the oncoming rush. To beat that sugar to its maniacal punch. For the most part you will.

But if you DON'T want to deal with all of that, just check the locks for goodness' sake.

tip for tuesday

Whilst flipping through a magazine, I ran across some hair-washing tips. Not that I get to wash mine all that often (something about running after children all day), but I always love a good insight into the ways of follicle upkeep.

* Before you wash, brush your hair from root to end - this loosens the dead skin and hairs. (ummm, disgusting)

* When scrubbing, use the pads of your fingers, not the fingernails. This can scratch the hair cuticle, making it dull. (oops)

* During your shower, don't pile your hair on top of your head - apparently this can dry out the ends. (I don't understand that at all. Plus, I ALWAYS put mine up , because I have long hair, and how else can I wash my shoulders with ease?)

* Rinse with cool/cold water. This causes your pores to contract, so they don't secrete as much oil. (Actually, I've known this for a while, but thought I'd throw it in. It's definitely an art form to get the water only on your head and not any other part of your body.)

There you have it, fellow hair-washers. While we're on the subject, might I add that I've been using Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo. I find it quite enjoyable, and am pleased with the results. I have fine hair, but a lot of it. And with each child it has become increasingly more wavy (not to mention darker). This seems to cater to both those things. Hooray for hair care!

Architect

The child LOVES to build towers. Or if she's feeling super-creative, she calls them "sandcastles." This one is definitely a sandcastle. It does her (Lego-loving) Daddy's heart good.





* She's wearing a babydoll in her sling (an old scarf of mine) ... when she's in the mood, that baby goes with her everywhere. She talks and sings to, feeds and pacifies that little baby - always making sure her charge is in the most comfortable of positions. It does her Mama's heart good.

11 months

Here she is. Eleven months old. The mitten? It's covering the gauze and tape that are wrapped around her fingers. Second-degree burns are covering my baby's three middle fingers as a result of a manual temperature test of steaming hot soup. After 90 minutes of screaming, writhing and sheer agony, the doctor-prescribed Tylenol (with some special sauce) finally allowed her to sleep.

She's been a trooper these last couple of days - what little time I've seen her. When she IS awake, she's been smiling through her drug-addled eyes, until it's time for the next dose and 4-hour nap which follows.

bugs

flower girl

It was a perfect day for a wedding. Dyer Observatory proved a beautiful spot - on top of a (what seems almost like a) mountain, Jason and Emily said their "I Dos" overlooking the city far below.

Decorated with pumpkins, mums and other tastes of fall, the outdoor wedding felt just right. There was a winding walk to the altar (a giant mound of rocks) and I love that bits of mulch and leaves clung to the bottom of Emily's dress.

Andy and my brother, Clay, were groomsmen. My sister-in-law, Sarah, was a bridesmaid. And my Ella was a flower girl. There are few times I have felt so honored to be asked anything. It is an Undeniable fact that Ella is in love with Jason and Emily. Both of them. Very much. And they asked HER to join them in the biggest day of their lives. Granted she's cute, and I wouldn't blame a complete stranger for asking her to be in their wedding just for pictures, but it's because Jason and Emily love her!



Jason met Ella when she was less than 30 minutes old. She hadn't even had her first bath! That night, he wrote a beautiful lullaby for her that makes me cry every time I hear it. I don't even know the title, but the first line is "Little hands, little feet, little Ella, go to sleep." I want to figure out a creative way to have the lyrics in her room, over her bed.

When Jason and Emily started dating, Ella was instantly smitten with Emily. We listen to Emily's record a lot around the house (especially when Andy's about to play a show with her and is brushing up on his guitar parts). Ella loves it, and requests it often. To this day, when she hears a female singer on the radio, she sometimes asks if it's "Em-ah-lee's song?".

As soon as Ella was told she would be a flower girl in their wedding, she couldn't stop talking about it. She didn't even know what one really was, but she knew she would "wear a pretty dress" and "sparkly shoes" and "sprinkle the flowers." If you know Ella, you can picture her arching her back in excitement, and the next second talking to you less than an inch from your face. When Jason presented her with the shoes, she started waving her hand in front of her face like she was about to faint from excitement.



She was given a beautiful garland and basket that Emily's mother had fashioned - reflecting October perfectly. The garland, with its oranges, whites, and dotted with tiny pine cones, was so delicate and breathtaking on Ella's gold-spun hair. Her dress made her look like a tiny bell, and the gold, sparkly shoes caught the sunset just right. There was another flower girl, Emily's cousin; she was the same height as Ella, with the same color hair (although she had more of it) and big blue eyes. They looked the perfect pair.



The processional started. Ben Shive was playing like only Ben Shive can. There was a a last-minute scramble as the wedding party reordered themselves (the wedding coordinator lined them up backwards). Emily's sweet tears had started as she held on to her father, and the flower girls were trying desperately to hold themselves back from sprinkling ALL the flowers before it was even their turn to walk down the aisle.



I was with Ella every step of the way down that long, mulch walk. The whole time I was coaching, prepping, encouraging, and praying that my sweet girl (who often becomes paralyzed and panicked in front of strangers) would make it down the aisle. "Go straight to Daddy, he'll be waiting for you up there," I said. She nodded, glanced at her petal partner, and seemed reassured.



The time came. I stepped into the background, holding my breath and snapped a couple of shots. Sure enough, about halfway down she turned around yelling "Mommy!!" I threw my camera behind a tree and crouched alongside her, holding her hand until she spotted the monkey. Yes, the monkey. Two stuffed monkeys were placed in front of the groom to entice the flower girls to complete their job. I guess it kind of worked.



Ella grabbed the monkey, jumped into Andy's arms, and stayed there for approximately 4 seconds. The rest of the ceremony was spent in my arms. After the ceremony, picures were taken and we whisked Ella up to the reception to enjoy the band a la "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" while she ate a plate of food.

Soon my parents and Sadie came to pick her up (whew!) and Andy and I enjoyed talking with friends, eating good food, making S'mores (yes!), looking at the moon through a GIGANTIC telescope, and dancing. OK, so Andy didn't dance all that much, but this girl certainly did! The only thing missing on the dance floor was LIZ (but since she's in South Korea I guess she couldn't make it).

It truly was a glorious night - crisp, clear, great music, friends, and best of all...Jason and Emily are married!!!

** Andy wrote a sweet post about the day, with a look back to my brother's wedding as well. You should look.

Purse Contents

Someone else did this, and I thought I'd record this morning's collection for posterity. I will list the items in the order of which I pull them.

* Fossil catalog, Fall 2007

* Baja Burrito receipt

* Packaging for an Elmo bathtime book

* Wild Oat's receipt

* my wallet

* a baggy with Sadie's green pacifier inside

* my white sunglasses that Ella likes to wear when it's sunny. they draw LOTS of attention

* Ella's Parent's Day Out payment reminder

* a dollar bill

* a card from our Neighborhood Fellowship Group, addressed to "The A Team"

* Border's receipt

* Burt's Bees Hand Sanitizer- Aloe and Witch Hazel (100% natural...hooray!)

* Zoo membership card

* CVS pharmacy receipt

* lip gloss

* a purple drug rep pen (we have lots around the house) for "Relafen - Nabumetone" ummm, I have no idea what that's for...Dad?

* Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (ole Burt is from my hometown, you know)

* Strawberry Lip Smacker

* another dollar bill

* Canel's Chewing Gum - tutti-frutti flavor (from Baja)

* a really fun ring from Curious Heart Emporium (i think my favorite gift shop ever - but it took me forever to go in because I was scared of the aliens and spaceship and other odd-looking creatures in the front), and I literally just gasped aloud because I think it's broken. BOOOOO.

* another stick of Chapstick "Compliments of: allegra"

* a red pen

* 7 quarters

* 1 dime

* 3 pennies

* business card for my friend, a hair stylist at the Green Pea Salon

* Davis-Kidd receipt (my favorite Nashville bookstore)

* Neutrogena lip balm "Pink Splash" with SPF 20

* 2 Veggie Puffs (corn flavored, I believe)

* oooo, another penny

* some crumbs

What's in Your purse??

10 months

Sadie. I love so many things about her. Among the top of the list...

...When she smiles hard or laughs, her eyes become the shape of the moon when it's a tiny sliver. And the top of her nose has smile wrinkles in the shape of a triangle with the tip pointing down.

...Her laugh. She has so many different kinds. Amused, belly, I-want-someone's-attention, excited (usually turns into a shriek)

...Kisses. Especially when she initiates.

...The fact that she cannot listen to music without dancing.

..."Da-da" "Ma-ma" "El-la" "Dugga Dugga Dugga"

...The way she wants to be a part of Everything. It usually means pulling up on the object of her affection (mainly Ella) and getting as close as possible to the action.

...Books are the only thing that will keep her still. Especially if she's reading them herself.

Concoction

I threw together this little dish at my parent's house the other day. It was a lovely medley of taste, texture and colors. What made it even better was eating it outside.



Organic white shells and cheese - Grape tomatoes - Avocados - Fresh basil from the backyard - Ground Pepper

Glow, baby, glow

Since there have been a few inquiries AND I'm excited about this company, I want to spread the word about Simply Glowing candles.

My friend, Kristen, married a guy named Andy...Andy's family lives in Indiana and raises soybeans...which they then make into candles. Kristen has joined the family business, and now the business has gone online. I just got an e-mail about it a couple of weeks ago!

I bought a soy candle at a shop a while back, but strictly because it was a particular scent I had been craving. I didn't even realize all the benefits of soy candles.

I'm excited about ordering my first one - although I might not be able to limit myself to just that. Especially the Seasonal scents. So make your home smell yummy while keeping the air clean (and supporting my friend)!

Give us this day our daily bread

brewing

I'm on my second cup of coffee. Sadie is napping. Andy and Ella are on an outing. My mind (for the last who-knows-how-long) is one complete garbled mess. Wait, that sounds negative. My mind is full of amazing, brilliant, beautiful thoughts that are just fighting for first-place on my Thinking To-Do List. Yes, much better.

I have yet to sort it out. So I've decided that instead of pressuring myself to try and create something that makes ANY kind of sense here, I'm just going to write a list of words. Themes, thoughts, whatever. Some I've been wanting to blog about. Some will maybe get blogged about. Others just need to be written.

* Caldecott medal
* Laundry
* Time management
* Money management
* SIMPLIFY
* My Sadie
* Yard Sale
* Spoon rests
* Method
* Mothering Intentionally
* Dan Allender
* Potty training
* This
* That
* The other
* Art for my girls' rooms
* The return of the "baby" sling
* The Return of the chipmunks
* Andy saw the dude who voiced Alvin the Chipmunk
* Ella and Will
* Rough-housing
* Earnest Ella
* Determined Sadie
* Dustbuster
* Wanting to want a Sewing Machine
* My husband The Seamstress
* Rainbows
* Outside



I feel much better.

Irony is...

reading articles on how to be a better parent while my child watches television.

it's official

The other day Ella reported, "We're friends, Mommy. Ella and Sadie are friends."



I'm so glad.

look-see

Welcome to this past Monday night at the Osengas...creatively edited by our friend Dave.

Just one of them days.

Ok, so there have been several of them in a row. I attribute it to the (still unbearable) heat. We're cooped up. Emotions are flying. Children (and mother) are getting bored. My patience will only last for so long.

A couple of days ago it was Especially dramatic. Nothing seemed to go smoothly. I had pretty much accepted the fact that This was the day my entire head of hair would turn gray in one fell swoop. At the end of the day, I was changing (what seemed like) the 27th dirty diaper. I was on the verge of breaking. Just then my sweet (for possibly the first time that day) Ella looked up at me and said,

"You're my little treasure, Mommy."

The day was instantly redeemed.

night vision goggles

We practically needed them today, During the day, inside the house. Why? Because it was so flippin' hot outside that I literally had every shutter closed, every curtain drawn, and every light off. All Day.

Poor Ella could hardly see her Play-Doh as she made all sorts of creations at the table. Sadie was in her diaper for a majority of the day - including her first nap. I set foot outside my house exactly ONE time while the sun was still up. Ella and I took out the trash, and when we came back in (after approximately 4 minutes) the child was already sweating.

The thermostat was set at 70 deg all day, but it never got cooler than 80 inside the house. The LOW tonight is 78. Tomorrow it's supposed to feel like 110 deg.

I'm running out of things to do in my house. But it's not worth going somewhere Else air-conditioned because it's just too hot to make the trip. Sadie still faces backwards in her carseat, and the poor thing is sweaty in about 3 seconds because there aren't any vents pointing right at her.

Well, I guess we are going to venture out for an early morning trip to the downtown library. We've just begun to go to Storytime again, and we can't let the heat keep us from Cedric the Dragon or (gasp) the Rainbow Song.

5 years and an 8 month old

Yesterday marked my fifth year as Mrs. Andrew Osenga. It was Almost as hot as the day we got married. Except that day it was 103 degrees. And we had dancing Outside. Many pictures of a sweaty bride and groom were taken, but I don't have any in digital form, so we'll just have to imagine.

Last night we recounted our anniversary dinners...(please note the steak theme)

Year one, J. Alexander's. Still not in the digital world, so we'll still have to picture the young, happy couple.

Year two. I could explain, but it's more fun to not.



Year three. The Melting Pot. The first time we had ever eaten there. We left our 4 month old at home while we ate for Three GLORIOUS hours.



Year four. The Melting Pot again. Still delicious. This time we took our 4 month old.



Year five. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. No picture. Don't know why. We have a new camera, and I must say we looked rather dashing. Especially Andy's Curious George band-aid covering the gaping hole in his neck that was a result of the drain removed (from his neck, that is). Again, let your mind wander.

And TODAY marks baby Sadie's eighth month in the world. Still ridiculously happy. Still hates to sleep.

found.

Tonight. After dinner. In the bottom of Ella's pink cup. Floating in the remains of her milk. Three bite-sized pieces of hot dog. Gross. And what makes it More gross, is that it was actually a "Smart Dog." As in not-meat-but-soy dog. As in, really rubbery and when warm smells not unlike a cat I dissected in college. But young Ella ate it all. Except for those three bites.

thanks, Nana!

my mom made this precious watermelon outfit for Sadie. perfect for summer and showcasing some delicious baby rolls.

whew

I just looked at our calendar. Today's date was blank. There were NO PLANS. For the first night in 11 nights, we did not have anywhere to go. I'm exhausted...

28 years ago

me

round here...

...we stay up very, very, Very, VERY late

* Andy moved his studio into the B room at Sputnik - a great studio owned by a great friend in a great location allowing for separation between home and work which is, well, great.

* I'm in my first bookclub which meets tonight. We're discussing the first half of "Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy.

* Ella sometimes goes to the bathroom on the big potty.

* Sadie just cut her fourth tooth. She grinds all four of them together constantly. It makes me feel like a crazy person.

* I decided to boycott doing laundry for a week and a half. The end result - 12 (count em) loads of laundry to be done. I'm on load 9. When I was single, I couldn't have gotten 2 loads of laundry dirty in that time if I tried. Life changes, though, and I am no longer paying $287.50/month in rent living on mac and cheese and taking naps every Sunday afternoon.

* Ella wants to live on mac and cheese.

* Sadie's taking 2 naps a day, including Sunday afternoon.

* Sunday night Andy and I did about 5 loads of laundry, and while I stain-sticked and he folded we watched "Little Miss Sunshine." He wrote a great blog about it here.

* Ella likes to play her "guitar" (it's actually a baritone ukulele) like an upright bass and sing "Jesus Loves Me." Loudly.

* Sadie is Almost crawling. Or walking. I'm really not sure which will come first. Keep in mind she's seven months old.

* I have an imaginary maid named Mona.

* Andy and Ella read "Leonardo the Terrible Monster" almost every night. They read "Curious George Goes to the Zoo" every night.

* I read "Curious George Flies a Kite" with Ella almost every day before naptime.

* Ella watches an episode of "Curious George" the cartoon every day.

* Sadie belly laughs if you play peek-a-boo with her. And is the happiest baby alive. And has two dimples that show when she smiles. Which is all day.

* My children seem to rarely wear shirts.

switcheroo

This morning Ella brought over her see-through, feather-lined suitcase with wheels. I looked in and there were the entire contents of my purse packed in, zipped up, and ready to go. As we were about to leave for church, I picked up my purse to put back in my belongings. I retrieved a box of crayons, a flashlight and 2 pennies. Actually, I kept the pennies.

a glimpse.

It's raining outside. Storming, actually. I'm sitting on our new (to us) couch looking out our two front windows and glass door at the torrential downpour.

Ella is napping.

Sadie is rolling around on a blanket on the floor trying so very desperately to crawl, and simultaneously amusing herself (and me) with all sorts of creative mouth noises.

Andy is researching studio designs.

The lights are sporadically flickering - signaling the next giant thunder blast.

But here we are, cozy inside, with my new Lemon Citrus Beanpod Candle
filling our home with that clean, fresh smell. Our house is, amazingly, halfway clean itself, but for the days that it's not, this candle at least gives the illusion of a recent scrubbing. Good enough for me.

diaper dandies

because they're cute...

i have thoughts of what to write about. really, i do. i'm just too dang tired. so here are exactly two pictures to tide you over...

high hopes

Already they seem like best friends. No one can make them laugh like the other. My mother's heart swells every time I see them enjoying one another. And it's only been 5 months! Five months out of their whole lives.

Mama had a little lamb

It's late, and I really should be sleeping. But tonight, for some reason, I'm feeling the pull of the blog. I miss it. I actually miss blogging. Well, the result of blogging which is (perhaps) a comment or two and (always) documentation of what's actually been happening during these hazy days.

I feel like maybe, just maybe, I might be emerging from the fog that is the first few months. After a very long five months, Sadie has SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT...three nights in a row! For those of you who have wonder children that started much earlier, I don't want to hear a word. Not one, single word. For I am happy and hopeful and ready to...sleep.

But as sleepless as it may have been around here, never have I met a happier babe. The child lives to smile. And laugh. And smile and laugh some more. And then eat her toes for a bit. And then eat whatever else is in reach (usually her Mama's hair). And she makes an ADORABLE lamb...

cupcakes

Ella "made" cupcakes for the first time on Saturday. What follows is a detailed account of the sugary adventure.

intently mixing...


not quite understanding that sprinkles go on Later...


chocolate molester-staches make me happy...


let's throw in vanilla for good measure...


you haven't Truly enjoyed a cupcake unless it's been up your nose...


the lining is no match for an eager Ella...


Sadie biding her time with Adrienne until it's her turn to bake...


4 (ish) cupcakes later...


waiting for the (absolutely necessary) bath...