Red Paint

Why is it that when children decide to break into paint to paint your walls, they always, always, always pick the bright red paint?

I came home from work tonight at 8:30pm, completely exhausted from my first week at my new job and my first full-time job in nearly two years only to find Jack covered in bright red paint.

I went down the hallway and there it was.

A red-striped wall.

A red-striped door.

Red paint on my couch.

Red paint everywhere.

My first inclination, of course, was to throttle him. Thankfully for his little neck, I had just come from a Y function where people had talked about how the Y had changed their lives when they had nothing. So, since I had a house and food on the table, I had been feeling pretty blessed.

Then I saw the red paint.

Though my clinched teeth, I said, "Jack, honey, why did you paint my walls?" He looked at me with those giant brown eyes and said, "But Mommy, I wanted to make the wall beautiful for you! Isn't it beautiful?"

Ugh.

Confession Tuesday

Here we are, again, another week! I have not posted much this week because I was off with my family in NC. Had a great time even with half of the family going down one by one with a stomach bug. Not my kids or me so all is well! (I guess my poor sister who had to clean up after four sick people in her house is probably be throwing darts at a photo of me right now!)

Ok, and we're off!

1. I'm actually writing this on Monday night. I started my new job today so I don't know how much inspiration or time I will have tomorrow.
2. I love my new DVR. What did I do before it? Do I need fifteen minutes to get supper on? Jack, here's Fireman Sam for ya! No need to get a tape out or deal with the fact that there are multiple episodes on the tape. Just fifteen minutes of quiet bliss.
3. I need to get into shape...bad. Have this whole new plan in my head for the new year but have eaten Mexican food three meals in two days. Ugh. Guess I'll get going "next week".
4. I had to sign and HR document today that said that I would not swear at work. Sh*t! What am I going to do now??!!

Happy Tuesday!

Suzanne Varela Hastings

I just got an email a few minutes ago that a childhood friend of mine, Suzie Varela (Hastings) passed away last night of breast cancer.

Suzie and I were friends in the earliest part of my life. Her father and my father were friends. Don Varela was the pastor of a christain community we used to belong to. Suzie, her sister Charmaine, David and Clint Hunt, my brother Gordie and I used to pal around together all the time.

I remember Suzie as a beatiful ray of light. She was hilarious.

My two strongest memories of her were strange in their opposites. I remember a trip to Nags Head that she took with my family (that's where the pictures came from) and I remember that we were in a car accident together when we were 12. Suzie and I had spent the night at an elderly couple who were friends of my parent's house. We were on our way home from church when a girl was drag racing with her brother. I was knocked out and when I came to, Suzie's head was in my lap (still attached, of course). She had cut it with a coffee can of fresh flowers. Wow, such vivid memories. The four of us were fine. I crushed vertebrae in my back but have been just fine. Everyone else had minor cuts and bruises.

I found out about Suzie's breast cancer just a week or so ago. She was diagnosed with it just weeks after she buried her father from a heart attack. It reminded me that I had not seen or heard of her in over 20 years. She had gotten married young and had kids young and I guess we lost touch.

I'll still always remember that trip to Nags Head, Christian skating and those (I can't believe my parents made me go) Halloween parties.

God bless you, Suzie. God bless the Varela and Hastings families.

Confession Tuesday

Here are my thoughts for the week:

1. Instead of watching the debate on TV last night, I watched "Dance Wars." Admittedly, I did flip back and forth in the commercials, but MAN most of those folks on "Dance Wars" are talented!

2. Speaking of reality shows, I was in a bar on Sunday evening and a group of folks from the show, "So, You Think You Can Dance" were working on their casting lists at the next table for the upcoming season. Guess they did a call in Dallas? Anyway, as I walked past them, I burst into the "Running Man" to their hysterical laughter.

3. Ok, I really didn't dance in front of them but wouldn't that have been a hilarious story if I did?

4. I wake up each morning with a song in my head. Usually, it is from a musical or a TV show theme song. It is strange, though, that my subconscious seems to know what kind of day I'm going to have as that seems to set the tone for the day. Hairspray? Good day. Les Mis? Well, I'm not so sure.

5. Today, I woke up with the theme song from "Cheers" in my head. I don't know what that means.

6. I'm off to my parent's house tomorrow. I'm so excited to see everyone, especially my grandfather, Dyda. That said, I'm secretly most excited to have a bowl of Brunswick stew from Smithfield BBQ.

7. I'm sitting at home right now waiting for a representative of the US Navy to come to my house for me to serve as a "character reference" for a good friend of mine. A work colleague told me that she did it once and they asked her lots of questions about herself. For some reason, I'm really nervous.

How about you guys???

Murder Unscripted

For those who are going to miss their Law and Order (that means, you, Jana!) A peek into your future...

Tonight's American Idol

Tonight, I was putting Jack to bed. When I got back in the den, Jon had turned on American Idol.

Truth be told, I like American Idol OK once they get to Hollywood but even still don't watch it too much. But I have never felt comfortable with the audition portion of the "competition". I thought it was just kind of mean. That said, people are adults and if they want to look ridiculous on tv, well, that's their choice.

So, back to tonight. When I walked into the room, they had someone called "Douglas" singing (my happy karaoke tune) "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. They first interviewed him where he said that his father "hates him". This poor person very CLEARLY was mentally unstable. He was walking around in circles and singing off key while Paula, Randy and Simon just sat there and told him he was a bad singer.

I nearly cried. This poor person had Asbergers or some other disorder and it was like the cool kids in school making fun of the poor mentally challenged kid by making him do stupid "tricks" for their amusement.

Now, I know that some producer chooses the best and the worst for the three of them to see. But, that segment should have NEVER been allowed to air.

For a show that claims to be a "family" show, what lessons are we teaching our children? It's OK to laugh at people who are different?

Shame on you, American Idol. Someone there should have had more compassion.

A Five-Year-Old Explains the Writers Strike

Saw this on another blog. This pretty much explains what I know about the writer's strike.

Confession Tuesday

Ok, Jana presented a challenge and I'm going to take a swing. Let's see how this goes.

Jana has started her blog list of "confession Tuesdays" for quite sometime. I do really enjoy them. So, here I go:

-I just ate three girl scout cookies (samoas that I had put in the freezer yesterday, to get them just right). We got a shipment at the office because we are a newspaper and they want us to write about how great they are. Ok, mission accomplished.

-I quit my job today. I guess this is not quite a confession but I just got a great job at the YMCA of Dallas and I can't wait to start even though I will miss it here (and especially the advance girl scout cookies!)

-I'm really sad we don't have snow here. It sure would be nice for a couple of days of really cold weather when I could take the kids out to throw snowballs. Then, I want it to get to 75 degrees immediately.

-This morning at the hair salon when he was coloring my gigantic patches of grey hair, I read an US Weekly cover to cover.

Any confessions for you???

Ah, the Writer's Strike

Well, I have to say that I have been completely numb to the effects of the writers strike. I have my favorite shows (too many, actually) but took the break as an opportunity to check off the first thing on my New Year's resolution list, read more.

I'm doing that but I've also ramped up my first love, movies. Jon and I snuck out and saw five movies over the holidays.

Quick review:

Atonement-Very similar to English Patient. I loved it but you have to like sweeping war/romance/period dramas. If so, this is your movie!

Charlie Wilson's War-Very interesting and entertaining. Julia Roberts bugged me, though. I live in Texas and her accent sounded like she was channeling her Olympia Dukakis co-star of Steel Magnolias. I kept waiting for her to say, "Now, Cha-lie, you KNOW I love ya more 'n my luggage!"

I am Legend-Ok, I admit it, I'm a sucker for Will Smith. 'Nuff said.

Juno-Loved it.

PS, I Love You-I can't believe that I just wrote that I saw that dreck.

Anyway, back to the writers strike. They have canceled the Golden Globes.

To me, this is like canceling the football playoffs before the Super Bowl of the Oscars. I have two nights where Jon just KNOWS to take the kids away. The Golden Globes and the Oscars. For the past 20 years, I park in front of the tv from about 5pm on. Jana, Al, Joseph and I make phone calls all night long to each other. We discuss who is wearing what, who we think is going to win, do we think this will lead to an Oscar, etc. We get our ballots together for our now legendary Oscars contest.

This is the start of my Oscar season!

Damn, you writer's strike! Damn, you fat cats, pay those poor starving writers. I need to see what Nicole Kidman is wearing!

I'm taking you guys on. This time, it's personal.

Merry Christmas from all of us!

We hope you all have a good one!
Click here to see us in action!!

Sunday Scribblings-Holiday Memories

The prompt this week is holiday memories. I have so many. Holidays were always the best for me. All my grandparents and cousins on both sides lived within a 10 minute drive of me. Every Christmas Eve, we would head to my maternal Grandparent's house for fun and Christmas Day would be at my paternal grandparent's house.

The party with mother's family always included the most amazing southern food. From fried chicken to dumplings to BBQ to coconut cake to chocolate cream pie, it was a feast. We would open gifts and laugh and play until it was time for midnight mass where my father would always sing. We would even grab all the cousins and go out to sing carols for the neighbors every year.

Christmas day, up at dawn, all eight of us would wait at the top of the stairs. Mother and Daddy would go downstairs to the den with the camera and ooooooh and aaaaaaah for what seemed like an eternity. We just could not contain our excitement. They would then say, "ok, we're ready" and sixteen footsteps could be heard barreling down the stairs just to be the first to see what Santa had brought.

Chaos ensued. Paper being torn and thrown around. The screams of "Yeah!!" " Wahoo!!" and "Thanks, Santa!!" as the toys were revealed could be heard throughout the house.

We would head then, to my father's parent's house for even more fun and presents. We would eat more wonderful food prepared by my grandparents and play with our other cousins until dark.

I cannot imagine how on earth my parents pulled off Christmas every year. From the expense of it all to just the logistics of putting together all those toys for eight children. Where were the presents hidden? When did my parents go out shopping? These are still mysteries to me.

I'm home this year for the first time in as long as I can remember and the first time since I've had children. When Jon and I thought that we would avoid the travel and make our own holiday traditions here, I'm not so sure we had any idea how sad we both would be not to be in the middle of the chaos.

Our Dallas "family" has invited us over for Christmas Day. We'll have new memories this year. It won't take the place of being with my family but I know we'll have a good one!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

It's Santa Time!

My boss got an email from a local shopping center asking us to take advantage of "Holiday Family Night" which meant that they some free food for the kids and a visit from Santa. They wanted us to create "buzz" for them on our blog. So, since my boss lives in the 'burbs and this shopping center is really close to my house, I was given the "beat".

So, here's the hilarious part to me, first, this is not a family-focused shopping center. They could be, but they are not. The only family store they had in it was Gap Kids and they took that out a couple of years ago. Imagine the hippest urban mall you can think of next to a university and you would be close. It is a mixed-use mall with loft apartments on top of the stores and restaurants. The stores include Gap, Urban Outfitters, upscale clothing and West Elm.

THIS outdoor shopping mall decided to lure families on a cold December night with the promise of free food for the kids and an outdoor showing of A Christmas Story. Yes, you read that right, an outdoor showing of A Christmas Story on a Monday night in the middle of December. Don't get me wrong. That movie is a must on the Christmas list but honestly, outdoors in December? with kids? No thanks, I'll watch it when TBS runs the 24-hour marathon.

And then there was Santa. This poor Santa was placed in a chair outside in 30 degree weather with NO ONE around, of course, because no families ever go to this shopping center!

And that made it the greatest Santa experience I have EVER had!

We pulled around to the parking garage, and there was (that poor) Santa. Sitting alone in a chair with a beam of light shining on him. Jack started screaming. It was probably one of the greatest moments I have ever had as a Mom. So, we meet Dad there and Jack goes running down the stairs to see Santa. He plopped in his lap and immediately asked 25 questions about where the reindeer were and the elves and the toys and will Santa join us for dinner at the pub, etc.

No two-hour wait to see Santa at the mall like I had last year. No other moms impatiently waiting and tapping their foot while my three-year old thinks of all the toys that pop in his head. No $35 Santa photos. Just Jack and Eva with the big guy.

Santa, as it should be.

Sunday Scribblings -Dance

We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind, 'cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance, well, they're no friends of mine....

I saw this prompt on Sunday Scribblings this week. I can't seem to get The Safety Dance out of my head as I'm writing this. I'm not quite sure why.

It would be difficult to find a prompt that I have spent more time doing than this one. Dancing is probably my most favoritest thing in the whole world (next to singing Bon Jovi on a karaoke).

I love dancing. I've written about this before but my kids and I have "dance party" each night before bed. Mostly, we dance to The Kung Fu Hustle but we sometimes mix it up. Jack is not so much a dancer. He likes doing the kung fu moves in the "hustle" but mostly he just watches me. Eva, on the other hand, she's in the center of it all. That music starts, and she starts squealing and clapping. She loves dancing.

My love of dancing started very young, in private. I was a large child and incredibly awkward in that I was the tallest girl in my class and not so much a petite flower. I tried ballet but I can't tell you the trauma I still have of that horrible time. Man! I was B-A-D!

But I always danced at home. I danced with my Dad on the counter, as he sang to me. I danced in my room to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I danced to Joan Jett and the GoGo's. I danced all the time.

I finally took my "dancing skills" I had honed in my bedroom public with I was a teen. My friends and I would go dancing every weekend at an 18 and over club in Virginia called.......wait for it.........Ferrari's. Ah, yes Ferrari's. Some of my fondest memories were made in that club in a strip mall. That's where I learned to do the "running man", the "Kid 'n Play", made up "the Kristi Dance" and many other now hilarious dance moves. As a matter of fact, when I went to NY this weekend, I was able to bust some of those moves after a few cocktails. 37 years old and I've STILL got it! :)

I thought I would do a list off the top of my head of songs that have the word "dance" in the title. I came up with 20:

-The Safety Dance (of course)
-Dancin' on the Ceiling
-Dancing Queen
-Last Dance
-Dancing in the Street
-You Should be Dancing
-Rythm is a Dancer
-Let's Dance (David Bowie)
-Save the Last Dance for Me
-Dancing with Myself
-Shadow Dancing
-Dancing in the Dark
-Shall We Dance? (from The King and I)
-I Could Have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady)
-Flashdance
-Dancing in the Sheets
-Slow Dancin'
-Dance with Me
-I Want to Dance with Somebody (Whitney Houston)
-I Don't Feel Like Dancin' (Scissor Sisters)

Off the top of your head, what did I forget???

Poetry Corner

As I mentioned, I went to NYC this weekend to spend time with my friends and see my dearest, Joseph. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Joseph has his first book of his poetry out. I was so lucky that he had a reading the weekend we were there.

I thought I would post a poem he read. I think it is just beautiful.

Imagined Love Poem to my Mother from my Father

My mermaid, I watched you scaling milkfish.
Your hands and arms were silver,
and your body flecked
with otherworldly raindrops.
You were a silver mine to be mined.
Perched on a high branch of your mother's
mango tree, I saw only a glimmer
of the blade as you scaled the fish, upand-
down strokes, repeatedly,
gracefully, like an artist whose gift flows
through her veins. A strand of your hair
danced across your forehead, sweat
trickled down the joyous strained lines
of your neck, and your breasts, like twin
bells, I heard their transcendental
sounds. The glistening, naked
milkfish escaped the warm Pacific
for such honor. Kismet, chosen by Neptune,
it entangled itself on the fisherman's
net and beckoned you with its fresh,
clear eyes. You sliced
its stomach, sweet blade twisting
in me, scooped out its innards,
the heart, pulled out the gills
from underneath its head's protective plates.
I almost fell off the tree, there was a deep
aching in my chest, and my breathing
was shallow. Crouched beside the spigot,
your brown arms pumped briskly for water
as you cleaned the fish, cradled
by the softest hands, blood
and scales streaming onto the earth.
Didn't you hear the fish mouthing my words
as you were salting it: Do unto me, the spy
up on the thick fruit tree, as you have done
unto the milkfish? One day I hope
to recite for you these verses
and in my voice you will hear,
from across the oceans surrounding
the archipelago, as if reverberated through
the ages, the voice of our future son.
© 2007 Joseph Legaspi

Stalking--Is it really a crime?

I was off to NYC this weekend with my pals for my annual visit. When I was single, I used to go monthly. Then, I got married and went quarterly, now, sadly, it is an annual treat.

Basically, I stay with my dearest Joseph (without hubby and kids!) and my girlfriends stay in a nearby hotel. What makes it really fun is that it just puts me in the Christmas spirit.

I've been doing alot of things recently to get me in the spirit from our annual Christmas tree cutting ceremony, to watching as many of my Christmas favorites as I can (White Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Year Without a Santa Claus) but nothing gets me going quite as much as my New York trip.

So, on to the stalking. My "celebrity sightings" seem to be feast or famine when I go. This year, we were a bit up. We saw Andy Samberg, Seth Meyers, Lucy Liu, Fred Schneider (from the B52's) and who I'm pretty sure is Giuliani (I'm counting him anyway).

I have to say I'm a pretty cool cat when it comes to celebrities. I mean, I don't gawk or take pictures. I know they are just normal folks trying to go into a paper store or head to the bank or whatever.

But, since my SNL radar was up, I had hoped to see who Joseph calls my "girl crush", Tina Fey. I just love her. I'm not kidding. She's so amazing. Smart, hilarious and a UVA grad! How can you not love that! I'm also such a huge fan of 30 Rock, I just can't stand it.

AND I totally think we could be friends. She's a brunette, I'm brunette (mostly), she's a mom, I'm a mom, she wears glasses, I wear glasses, she knows Alec Baldwin, I once saw him in a bar. See, so much to chat about already!

That said, I think I might fall apart if I met her.

It might be another Bill/Felicity moment.

Let's go back to 1999, shall we?

Joseph and I once met William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman on the street in NY. We had seen an off-broadway play with "Bill". We were standing outside of the theatre just chatting away about the play when I notice Felicity Huffman standing next to me. I turn to her and completely blurt out very loudly "Sports Night is my favorite show!" She looks at me and says, "thanks?" Embarassed, I walk away. Joseph laughed at me and said, "nice work, way to be cool." Then, all of a sudden out of nowhere, Bill Macy is standing next to us. He looks right at Joseph and says, "do I know you?" Joseph very sheepishly, "uh, no, we're just really big fans." I chime in, "yeah, big fans." He said, "thanks?" And they walked away, hand in hand.

We can now only get within 300 feet of them but it was totally worth it.

Maybe it's better I didn't run in to Tina.

Outbreak

Parents beware. Know your children's friends....

Sunday Scribblings-Walking

Funny this was the Sunday Scribblings today.

My family and I took my favorite walk of the year today. We went to a Christmas tree farm and cut down our own tree.

We started this tradition about six years ago, the Christmas after we got married. Jon is Jewish so he never had a tree growing up. When I told him that I was going to head to the local tree stand to purchase, he went online and found a farm.

Every year since then, we've headed to the surrounding areas to cut down our tree. Some farms have hay-rides to the fields (as this one did today), most have little shops where they sell homemade pies, cider and Christmas tree ornaments. The place we went today even had a train ride through the property. Jack had such a great time. It just puts me so much into the Christmas spirit.

Running through the rows of trees, Jack looked at every tree. Can we have this one, Mommy? This one? We finally picked our tree. It was a small one. We usually get two trees. One small one for the den and a big one for the dining room.

Jack and Jon grabbed a saw and T-I-M-B-E-R down it went.

This week, Jack and I will make ornaments for it. Heck, we might even string popcorn!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas! Now, if only it would drop below 80 degrees!!

The Wiggles

Jack and I were playing on You Tube earlier and we found this video.

Maybe I spend too much time with The Wiggles.

Oh my goodness, I can't be stopped!

I make one lousy pilgrim hat and look what happens. Here's my Thanksgiving centerpiece that I made of completely found objects in the house. Look out world, here I come!!!!

Eva Begins Her Life of Crime

I got several emails on the back story of Eva in this photo so here you go:
Eva robbed a bank and the "pigs" got a hold of her, see. Doing her "time" of three minutes of time out has made her hard. She came off of her naughty mat with an Elmo tatoo. I hardly know her anymore.

Where is Martha Stewart When I Need Her?

Last week, I got a letter from Jack's teacher with stapled instructions on how to create a pilgrim's hat for their Thanksgiving celebration on Friday.

Immediately, my palms started to sweat. Isn't this a craft that the teachers usually do? Why are they making the parents do this?

Here's my problem. In addition to the MANY things that I have NO skill in whatsoever, I am a terrible artist. Seriously, when I draw, people comment on what a great artist Jack is.

Now I have to build a pilgrim hat from scratch? Immediately, I take off to Michael's where I'm SURE they have a pilgrim hat kit.

Guess what. Like all retailers these days, they have completely skipped over Thanksgiving and have all their Christmas decorations up. No pilgrims there. Oh, man, I have to do this myself.

So, here you go. My attempt at a project usually reserved for five year olds. Not bad, eh?

I CAN WHISTLE!

(this is also posted on the North Texas Kids website)

As part of a group called Mother Talk, I get to review books from time to time. Of all the books that they had available for review, The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz was the one that intrigued me the most.

Why? Well, those of you who know me know I am most definitely NOT a girly girl. I have short hair because I can't style it. I wear little to no make up because I don't know how to put it on without looking like a clown. I hate shoe shopping because my feet are gigantic and narrow so they never have any shoes to fit me. I am a terrible cook so Jon does all the cooking.

So, when I had my daughter a year ago, I was a bit terrified. What am I going to teach this poor child?

When I saw this book on the list, I immediately signed up. In reading it, it turns out that I am more of a girly girl than I realize (at least to the Daring Book for Girls authors). I know how to make friendship bracelets! I know how to play hopscotch! I can make a mean sit upon! I can play freeze tag! Maybe there is hope for my daughter after all!

I cannot wait to sit down with Eva when she gets a bit older and read this to her. What an interactive story time we'll have! I know she'll enjoy the story of the female pirates and the real-life princesses in addition to learning to make a clock run off lemons??! What fun!

One thing that I think is really a neat is that each of the sections is multi-faceted. For example, the section on weather not only has the definitions of cloud types but famous sayings about the weather and even poems about the weather. Most of the sections on sports not only have a how-to play but a history of the sport. I also enjoyed how they chose such interesting sports or "sports" as it were.

I have to say, I have had more fun reading this book. In addition to all the history lessons given, I learned all important karate moves. Each night Jack, Eva and I have a dance party before dinner. Our song of choice? The Kung Fu Hustle. So, now when we're "kung fu fighting, fast as lightning", I can look like a professional!

The best part for me, however, as the title of this blog states, is I can now whistle! I can't wait to try my new found skills on NYC cabs in a couple of weeks when I go. Thank you Daring Book for Girls!

Here we are, just in time for Christmas. I would highly recommend this book as a Christmas gift to girls of any age. I know I'll be sending it out for sure.

October

Well, here I am on Sunday, the first week of November. All I have to think about is where did October go?

October was such a busy month. Between weddings, Jack's soccer, parents in town, Eva's birthday, Eva's sudden illness (a mean bout with RSV, ugh), Halloween, and that dreaded kitchen remodel, I seriously feel like I completely missed the month. I feel like I've been on auto-pilot just moving from one event to the next.

When I was young(er) and single, I had plans 6 nights of the week. EVERY WEEK! Six nights, I would be out on the town or over a friend's house or staying out late and then would get up and go to work. Sleep? No problem. I'll just take a power snooze at 5p when I get home from work so I'll be ready for the next night's activities.

What happened to me? Eva gets sick and I average three hours sleep for seven days. It about kills me. I was so tired, I could not even blog about how tired I was.

I'm 37. I guess I have to accept it. I'll save my big nights out for my trip to JazzFest in April or my girl's weekend in NYC in December or the occasional time Jon and I get a sitter. And you know what? That's ok. Just please give me a little rest from time to time.

So, now we're in November. It's fall and the weather is fabulous. I've had two nights rest and feeling really good. Ready for November. Bring it on.

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy First Birthday, Baby Girl!!

Happy First Birthday, Baby Girl! It's been one year and I can hardly believe it. It seems like yesterday that you came out in the world your own special way. Mommy still has the scars to prove it!

I thought I would do a little post about all the things I love about you:

-Your smile takes my breath away.
-When I hear your little voice say, "hola!", my heart smiles.
-I love it when you sing along to music.
-I love the way, you light up a room with your sheer joy.
-I love your sheer determination to do anything. (THAT one I'm sure will come back to bite me later! For now, it's adorable!)
-I love the fact that there is no one better in your eyes than your father.
-I love that despite the fact that he can be difficult towards you, you still love your brother.
-I love rocking you to sleep.
-I love the fact that you will answer to us with your name, Eva, and your nickname given to you by your brother, Little Fuzz.
-I love the fact that I'm your Mom and I can't wait for all the adventures we'll get in together.

You have made our family so complete in such a short time, I can't imagine what life would have been without you in it.

A very happy first birthday, my little Eva Jane.

With love,
Mommy