...please?

I am so glad that I snap pictures of Isabella whenever she is actually sleeping soundly. It is a nice reminder of the good ole days.
When she actually used to sleep.

But lately? Lately sleep has been something of a commodity.

She fights.

She plays.

She comes out of her room a LOT.

It's discouraging...especially when you know you have things to do, and bedtime is the only time you get to yourself. Sometimes I just get so frustrated....and then I feel guilty as soon as I see her sleepy cheeks.

But you want to know the hardest part of all? As soon as she IS asleep...I just want to go get her. Hold her, smell her, snuggle her.

If that is my only plight...I suppose I'm doing pretty well.

But my oh my...just sleep for momma like you used to...please?

I love.

Today was hectic. Isabella had to be dropped off, and picked up from school, she had a doctors appointment, I had loose ends to tie up before MY school starts back on Thursday, paperwork to pick up, Bella's prescription to drop off, insurance is no longer accepted at Walgreens so new pharmacy to find-ugh!

But tonight was simple. Pizza. Home. Family.

Oh, how I love simple. It is my very most favorite of all.

Isabella received a late Christmas gift...princess bingo! Oh and let me just say, we love princess bingo. Our sweet feller played too, of course. It's so much fun to listen to children talk while they're playing a game. They like to make up rules.

As usual, Jasper also joined in. He always has his snout in the middle of everything. I love this dog. If you don't pet him, he becomes most displeased and will waggle his muzzle even harder under your hand or into your leg. It works like a charm. Could not resist it even if I tried, and I don't ;-)

My man and I sported similar mu-mu pants...he showed up at the house in his mu-mu...isn't that the greatest thing? I love it when he does that. I love that he loves to come over just to lounge around with Isabella and me and play princess bingo. It's just another one of the little ways he shows me he loves spending time with us.

The littlest things can mean so much, can't they?

Littlest doesn't look like correct spelling when you type it out.

Isabella battled and fought her bedtime for three hours tonight. Three. Hours.

I am exhausted.

I am lucky.

I also love, that just now, out of the blue, he sent me a goodnight e-mail telling me how much he loves my creepy and socially awkward trick I do where I make it look like I'm sewing up my lip, and my Billy-Bob Thornton face, and my Ugliest-Face-Trick-Of-All: The Lipless Wonder

That these things have not 'done runned dat man clean off' is a wonder.

That was the best e-mail of all.

Perhaps, maybe, it probably just might be the best night of all.

Just a bunch of dribble.

Holy moly it's 2012! I really hope those Mayans were wrong, because I have plans for this year, ya know?

I love January. I really do (I also love Mondays) It's a new month in a new year, it's fresh, clean and unscathed. It's the perfect time for me take stock and align things for the coming year...meanwhile God is laughing and shaking His head at me. I'll never learn.

Even though I am excited for what's in store this year, I'm rather sad to see 2011 come to an end. We bonded, ole '11 and I. So many wonderful things happened to me this year and it is one that I will hold dear to my heart, alongside 2007, the year I became a mother. But 2012 is going to be a doozy, I can just feel it...something in the wind when it blows suggests a hint of change mixed with milestones. It's both terrifying and exhilarating but mostly it's just life, and boy how I love it when it's not being a big ole stinker.

I am downsizing lately and have been going through all of my moving boxes. I am proud to say that I am parting with more than I am keeping...although my collections of vintage pyrex would suggest otherwise. The dreary weather of late has put me in the full-fledged nesting mode. Today I behaved as if I were a 90-year-old grandma and I began organinzing my needlework station. I just hated myself a little as I typed that out.

But watching my slow transformation as my tangled mess goes from this...


...to this, makes me feel productive and stirs my creative juices. Something about seeing things in order just really gets me...I just wish I could keep those things in order, ya know what I'm sayin'?

I just had to take a break and go shnuggle Isabella. Something woke her, so she came padding into the room and you know? There is nothing more lovable than a sleepy tot. Her hair was all messy and her cheeks were rosy from sleep. She asked me to "cuddle her a little bit" and who in the world could refuse a request so sweet? I don't think there is anything I love more than snuggling her at night and smelling her clean little toddler head and kissing her sweet little sleepy cheeks. But when I was wrassling myself into her tiny little bed, I noticed the hoot owl I attempted to make last week. I was experimenting and the result was a clumsy little fellow that I ended up giving to Isabella to play with...when I gave it to her she exclaimed very loudly that I was the sweetest mommy in the world and that she loved this beautiful hoot owl. I guess she does love it...because it's already missing an eye.