Mothers:

Happy Mother's Day to my dear mother, mom-in-law, stepmom, and Omie! And also to all my friends and momrades out there. (mom+comrades=cheesy made-up word) I'd like to devote this pretty poppy arrangement to you. I hope you're all putting your feet up today, at least long enough to catch up on the many new posts on this here blog.

What Have You Done With Willa?

I think I've mentioned before how Rebekah sometimes kidnaps Willa and returns her to me with a frilly new Beulah's outfit, complete with a Minnie Mouse bow atop her head. My friend thinks it's so funny to clothe Willa in things that are nauseatingly sweet and overtly girly...pink, floral, ruffled, and trimmed in lace. She expects me to loathe these ensembles, but I always LOVE them! Not a love that makes me whip out my wallet, but a love that makes me smile, and laugh, and tear up, and grab my camera, and take a zillion pictures. The other day, I was in serious work mode, trying to juggle customers and about nine different projects I had started. Willa was being her typical nap-refusing, lively self, tearing through the shop, rolling the clothing racks around, leaving a trail of deconstructed displays behind her. In an effort to help, Rebekah whisked her away and then returned a few minutes later with a different child, a demure, proper, genteel little lady. The transformation that occurred in Willa's demeanor by the simple change of an outfit was un-be-lievable. And it's no coincidence, either. I've seen it happen on a number of occasions. I unfortunately do not have any pictures of the before, but here is the after... Ah, here's my girl...

Dragonfly

After much anticipation and a long wait, a little horse named Dragonfly was born. We headed out to the ranch last week to meet the gangly foal. Willa loves to help Paula tend to the horses. I think it's safe to say we have a future equestrian on our hands.

Extreme Play-Dating

A week or so ago, Willa and I spent the afternoon with some friends for what I expected would be a low-key, rainy day play-date. It turned out to be quite the contrary. The multitudinous activity and corralling efforts, multi-tasking and multi-conversing made for a mental and physical challenge reminiscent of the day I first met Willa. (More specifically, the grueling hours of childbirth that led up to our magical meeting.) The girls slid and swung, and played in the mud. They splashed in the puddles and cruised in the Escalade. They finger painted and showered in the water hose. And eventually, they all made it to the communal tub for a good scrub before their long, well-earned naps. I don't know if it was the range of ages between the girls that made it so exhausting, or if it had something to do with the humidity in the air restricting my breathing... but it took me a couple of days to recover. I guess I should consider it a taste of my not-so-distant future, if things go according to plan and we multiply Willa by 2 or 3. Yikes! I will definitely need some more practice.

{Camden and Willa are messing with the radio controls. Notice Willa's hair dryer. This makes me think about the two of them carpooling to high school} {So Charlie's Angels...Don't you think?}{Camden was dying laughing at Harlie splashing in the puddles. And it soon became all an act for the camera.}{We checked the label...It's non-toxic.}{Oh, how fast they grow! The photo below is the same gang just 8 months ago. Click here for the full Breakfast With The Girls post, from September '08.}