Alas, some sweet love for three sweet things is abounding and it shall be shared.

Sweet Love #1:

Remember the product review I said was coming? Something red and something fabulous? Well, hello Something Red & Fabulous:

I have wanted a pair of red cowboy boots since Ariel had a pair in Footloose, and they are totally worth the wait. They came in the mail yesterday morning and I was so excited, I bit the plastic string that held the box shut with my teeth, pulled out all the stuffing paper, lifted these red beauties from the four cardboard walls and inhaled the smell of supple leather. They slide on my feet so comfortably, they were made for me. And, in searching my closet for something cute that would look good with red cowboy boots, I came to the conclusion: there is nothing that doesn’t look good with red cowboy boots.

They’re from CSN Stores (talk about having everything under the sun…check it out), and if you love them, there’s free shipping.

And if you know me and you see me out with these, please don’t make fun of me for wearing them every day.

I love my sweet red boots.

Sweet Love #2:

Among all the things we dream of for our kids that may or may not come true, I get stuck in one dreamland more than others. Ballet. I was obsessed with it as a kid. Never did it but looked from afar at others who did and I wanted a pair of pointe shoes like my life depended on it. I even bought a pair at a garage sale that were way too small and took them home and walked all crippled-like around my bedroom pretending I was in Swan Lake. And I was way too old to admit it, thank you. Like maybe I was in college. And maybe I still have those shoes. And maybe I still cram them on from time to time and prance about my living room. Anyhoo, with that little confession out of the way, I have to say I am so excited for Lainey’s new adventure.

We went out last night to buy her first ballet slippers and we’ll be trying a trial class this week to make sure she’s ready for the fall class.

I think she’s ready.

We’ll see. And, if it’s a go, you bet your sweet ass there will be pictures.

And finally Sweet Love #3:

I know I post bedtime and morning rituals a lot, but they are each unique and different and beautiful in their own way. And last night was no exception. We aren’t really the scheduled bedtime kind of parents. And we don’t necessarily do the same thing every night. Sometimes we read, sometimes we jump on the bed to get the sillies out, sometimes we tell real stories, sometimes we do back massages and sprinkle dream dust and on rare occasions, we let the girls curl up in our arms while we chat with company in the living room and they fall softly to sleep to the sound of our voices.

Last night, we did it all. We jumped the sillies out. We read. We told stories. We laughed and interwined legs and got all sleepy and dreamy with a long, drawn-out bedtime process that ended up just beautiful.

I love the way he looks at her and kisses her feet.

I love feet that stick out of jammies.

And I love, love, love the way these sisters bond in the big bed.

Although a bit dark and grainy (no flash, 16-35mm, Av at 2.8, ISO 1600), these two pics are some of my latest favorites. I LOVE the expressions on all three of them:

and, behold…she reads. Ha ha.

Some really lovely giveaways in store.

And, if you leave a comment…tell me three sweet loves you are enjoying.

Imagine what kind of goodness can fill all the spaces when a weekend begins like this…

Sleepily lying on the floor in the girls’ room on Saturday morning while I sip my coffee and watch them break into the energy of a new day. Starting slow…cuddling, cooing, stretching…

…and slowly crescendoing to a full dose of Today-is-my-Favorite-Day as cooing grows to loud calls, toys and rattles shake a little more vigorously and the big sister whoops and gallops and madly digs through the dress-up box for something just right.

Of course, the closing of the weekend was not to be outdone by that blessed commencement of coffee and cooing and bedroom bliss. It may have delayed its celebration until last night, but it delivered…with company in the crooks of our home…with candles and music and laughter and a table set with pretty napkins and flowers…

With manicotti and hot bread and a little something I could see St. Peter handing out at the gates of heaven for a proverbial little welcome if it weren’t for the fact that an alcoholic beverage upon heaven’s welcoming probably gives a sacriligous jitter to some. I’m just sayin’. It’s celebratory. And delicious. Forgive me. Behold…the Hawaiian Martini. Thank you, Dede.

Lainey set her little table for her and Baylee all by herself. Complete with place settings, folded napkins and, she insisted…a decorative kiwi.

And with weekend bookends that lovely, the filling could only be as grand.

A date with my girl. We shopped, just the two of us as I watched her peruse hats and jewelry and headbands, trying them on, smiling, declaring, “Oh, Mommy, this is beau-fi-tul.” And I think to myself a gazillion times This is so much better than I could have ever imagined motherhood to be. Watching your child be amazed, be delighted, be grateful…it’s so soul-satisfying.

And we finished our date, sitting in the sun with frozen yogurt that tasted like fresh peaches and cream.

Plastic Costume Jewerly…simply a must-have.

And then I cleaned and folded, rearranged and put away, and with every pile of clutter I obliterated in our house, I felt spaces of my mind organized as well. And although I am far from being naturally clean and organized and justify my hot mess of a house with excuses like “It’s creative. It helps me. It’s who I am,” I can’t deny the connection of an orderly house and an orderly mind. When all is clean and free, I think more clearly, get more done.

And I finally hung the strand of butterflies I picked up in Key West in the girls’ room. I like a house filled with purposeful items I love…things picked up on travels, artwork we created, photos I love. …and I love these butterflies.

They float right above the changing station so Nella’s eyes follow their gentle sway, and she smiles. And that makes me happy.

So does her one-eyed gaze…

Her obsession with flashcards…

Her in anything striped…

…and turning to find her sister has bedazzled her in something fabulous once again.

Things have slowed down a bit for me as far as projects I was taking on, and I am thankfully drinking my rich cup of mamahood. I have so enjoyed my girls these past couple weeks–as if that distinguishes it from any other week–and yet, there just seems more to be cherished every day.

I am looking forward to the shift of seasons again soon…some possible upcoming travels…the anticipation of pumpkin bread and apple pie and converasations in our home regarding what exactly she wants to be for Halloween. Oh, they’ve already started.

But for now, there’s still summer with its long days and good food and cold pool dips. And weekends like these.

Bonnie was a total dud. And by Bonnie, I mean Tropical Storm Bonnie.

She was nice, delivering only enough showers to keep me huddled up during naptime, scouring the Internet for the cool hypothetical luggage I will be taking on my cool, hypothetical vacation which, let me add, would be a two week stay at a lodge in the middle of the mountains in Colorado where every last member of my family would be present. And it would be snowing, and there would be stone fireplaces. And we’d skip skiing just to huddle together in some big common room where we would wear fuzzy slippers and be served hot chocolate. And babies would be passed and kids would be laughing and we’d drink buttered rum and stay up ’til God-awful hours of the night, trading stories, crying, laughing, rigging up some make-shift family version of karaoke where my sister and I would deliver interpretive dance moves to I Will Survive and my brother would chime in on the chorus, stealing our hairbrush mikes and finishing the chorus to applause and encores. And, mark my words, this will happen in the next five years and when it does, I will nearly hyperventilate with joy that cannot be contained. I’m just sayin’. In the meantime, I have a product review coming up for something I’ve always wanted. It has nothing to do with cabins in the woods but has everything to do with things that are fabulous and red and can be worn out dancing. So…yes, to come.

Back to Bonnie. While Brett yearns for some weather drama (he thinks power outages, lighting candles, huddling under blankets in the closet and battening down the hatches is fun), Bonnie gave us nothing but some uneventful rains.

Not that we didn’t make an event out of it. A couple pairs of rainboots, some cool umbrellas and a few welcoming puddles and we were set.

And, when all else fails, you whip your boots off and let the cold splash of dirty rain pools cool your bare feet. And you dance and you kick and you teach your kid Singin’ in the Rain. Because that’s what you’re supposed to do when it rains.

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It’s been awhile since I’ve bought something for our house. And I enjoy feathering my nest–even if it’s something as simple as new dish towels or scented tea lights. Which is why I was very happy indeed to switch out some store-bought art above my tub for real art…a picture of my girls all sudsy and smiling. I love it. So now, when I tip my head back all cock-eyed to rinse my shampoo, I’ll have something far better than painted palm trees to look up at.

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Huge news in the house this week: the goo-goos are gone. Pacifiers, that is. And yeah, they should have been out of here a long time ago, but we’re just not those parents. The ones that do everything when they’re supposed to. We talked about it a lot–when we would do it, how we would it it, and how exactly our girl would respond because they’ve been a part of her for so long. She loves them.

So, this week we colored and stickered and painted up a package for the Goo-goo Fairies. We collected every last pacifier we could find in the house and packed them up. Walked them down to the mailbox and closed the door. “The fairies will take your goo-goos to all the babies who need them tonight…and in their place, they will leave you with presents,” we told her. “Lots of little presents for you to keep because you’re a very big girl now.”

And it was a long night, that first one. She had tears the size of raisins that fell hot and hard on her cheeks as she fell asleep. And the worst part? She buried her head into her pillow at one point and lost it. “Please tell the fair-wies to save just one.” At that point, I had tears too. And I realized I was probably more broken-hearted than she was. And, while it’s been five days now with no goo-goos and she is moving on, Brett and I have realized it’s we that are having a harder time. It was her last bit of babyhood. A silly little thing, yes, but monumental at the same time. She’s big now. And there’s a few shreds of glitter from the fairy dust pile those pixies left to prove it.

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Nella’s obsessed with this twirly toy. She spins it like the Price is Right wheel and does this little cough-giggle every time it lands on the bird and goes Caw! Caw!

And she loves Cash & Rocco and they love her. I like the way Cash is holding her leg like, “Don’t worry…I gotcha, Babe.”

They like to lie on the big blanket in the playroom and have a stare down. Rocco’s always out first because he can’t not smile.

And Lainey is the best little feeder in town. She’s gentle and patient and scrapes green pea residue off Nella’s chin like a pro.

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And finally…today. Sweet today. I’ve been going a lot it seems lately and I’ve been craving settling down a bit. My girls needed some good one-on-one time. And I needed one-on-them time. So, to the bookstore we went. Lying across the carpet with a sprawl of books in front of us and we lie there, thumbing through Fox in Socks and Three Little Pigs.

Lainey makes up words to her own stories now, and I love it.

And there’s more…but the dress-up trunk has just been opened. And I’m being beckoned.

Tutus and click-click shoes await.

Happy Week.