The past few weeks since the girls have returned to good health [after the two-week illness bout over Christmas] have been so wonderful. These are the kinds of days I imagined when I thought about what being a mom would be like one day in the far future. :)
… happy, giggling children
… happy chattering
… occassional fights, but nothing to disturb the day too greatly
[The Dining Room mantel]
However, I live in the real world like everyone else, so not every day is like that! [see previous post]
But the past few weeks Zoe has been over-the-top happy. As in, giggles after almost every sentence she says. At stuff that isn’t even remotely funny. Fits the perfect description of “chatterbox.” So sweet to her sister [well, except for when I’m on the phone catching up with friends I haven’t talked to in months; then, well…]. Just generally happy almost all the time. It really is quite amazing. Not that she wasn’t usually happy, but now she’s just gushy happy.
Olivia, on the other hand, is in rough waters with teething. Part of her sickness over Christmas, along with the flu, was getting all four eye teeth at once. Since finally cutting those, she’s still been sooo grumpy, and it dawned on me through a talking-with-a-seasoned-mom-moment that she is also cutting her 2-year molars early. Sooo, still working on better days with that poor child. At least now I have more sympathy. :(
[Anyway, that part was for my mom. :) It’s not like everyone else is interested in hearing about someone else’s teething child. But Nana? Yep. She’ll listen for hours. ♥]
Zoe has also been living in the imaginary world of being a Princess. This just thrills my heart, seeing the innocence, the core desires of a girl’s heart being voiced so unassumingly. “Mommy! Look at me! I’m a blue-ti-ful Princess!”
[She has a lisp, or a “listhp” :), but most of her words are pronounced correctly. But she always says, “blue-ti-ful.” And I think it’s so precious I’m not about to try to change it.]
There is no shame in voicing the question, “Do you like me, Mommy?” just to hear a reassuring YES along with a tight squeeze. Or in asking, “Am I blue-ti-ful?” to hear the pride in a parent’s voice in the YES, because parents generally think their child far exceeds normal standards of beauty, blinded-by-love though they may be. There is no shame in enjoying beauty, in being beauty. “Mommy, watch me dance!”
My children teach me so much about God. And about relationship with God. About going to God honestly with the questions I’m feeling. It’s not silly or ridiculous. That’s what relationship is about – honesty and being vulnerable with our hearts before God. Not pretending that everything is okay if it isn’t. Being honest if we need a hug today. Being real with God, like Zoe was yesterday morning, “I’m sorry I wasn’t being nice to you, Mommy…” I’m intertwining the various relationships here, but I hope you follow. No wonder Jesus told us to be like a little child…
So the combination of Princess-love and hearts and pink and Valentines’s Day called for some pictures. I don’t claim to be a good photographer, and sometimes I’m rather embaressed to put up my shots, but you know, this is our life; we’re normal, we’re not perfect, but we invite you as friends. Although I would love to take a real photography course sometime, just to learn more about it. Any good suggestions? [on one that wouldn’t break the bank account?] Some of you “real” photographers have given me tips here and there and I love when you guys do that.
These pictures were taken in evening light, and I just loved the softness about them.
These following pictures were taken on a cloudy day, and I thought the lighting would be perfect. But just as we started taking pictures, the sun broke through the clouds VERY brightly and thus the harsh lighting. :( Re-doing wasn’t really an option, because, well, my girls aren’t really photogenic. :) It’s more like I run after them trying to snap a few pictures that hopefully will turn out. Olivia especially. She’ll probably wonder why I hardly have any pictures of her. And I’ll say, “Because you were always a blur, a whirlwind of running.”
But if she is fascinated by Zoe, then we can get a few still shots. But definitely not posy-posy. Oh no.
On my chalkboard in the dining room, which adjoins to the living room, I have written:
TODAY:
– enjoy little things
– smile at my children
– choose to Trust
So because I want to make it a point to do fun little things with my children, and to meaningfully look into their precious little faces and smile into their eyes…
…and since Zoe is SO into pink [that was the first color she recognized, and it’s still her favorite today], and because this book is one of her favorites ever ever ever…
…we made pink cupcakes for Valentine’s Day. We had SO much fun! I felt like a little girl myself, and I don’t normally enjoy baking all that well.
I am not a baking genius, lest this picture fools you. My secret lies in the next picture.
Pillsbury Cake Mix, you are my new friend. You make baking so easy, and look so amazing. Baking right after breakfast was actually easy, due to these easy ingredients:
Other than Zoe cracking an egg and it sliding down off the counter and running down the cabinets and making a puddle on the floor [“I can do it! I can do it!!” she had emphatically told me], and other than batter flying around the kitchen when she was mixing up the batter with the electric mixer, it was a grand success. She chattered like a magpie during the whole 2 hours, or however long we were baking. I hope she remembers times like this, because this day will go down in my memory as pure loveliness.
[Pajama-clad and morning-hair glory all three of us. I look like I was either 1) crying my eyes out the night before, or, 2) just woke up 3 minutes prior. Neither was the case.]
BUT – the point of this picture is the matching aprons! They were a gift from my sister Ervina, and I’m sure she has no idea how much we love wearing them together. And if I forget, Zoe will remind me. She loves it that much. And besides the fun we have wearing them, we can think about Auntie Ervina and how much we miss her… ♥
Zoe’s role as Assistant Gourmet Artist was taken seriously.
This part of putting on the sprinkles delighted her little soul to no end. “Enjoy little things…”
And of course, whenever there is baking, there are always eager tasters.
We wrapped a couple of them up in little paper wrappers, inspired completely by Rachel. Never in a hundred years would’ve I thought of such a cute idea.
I love white cake stands, but have none of my own. So, putting a plate on top of a white milk glass bowl creates the effect I’m looking for. At least, until it has to be moved. :)
Zoe was making all kinds of faces that morning for the camera. These are for my mom too. :)
And thus ends my rant on how FUN it is to have two little girls. :)
I would like to have 2 more, just like them, please. :) And then boys may start after that. But I LOVE having two little girls!
[And now I’ve used up all my picture allowance on xanga for the month. And it’s only the 15th. Premium suddenly looks appealing. So if you see me uploading strange amounts of pictures to facebook, it’s because I can copy and paste, thus the odd size picture assortment…]
And that’s the post Of Pink, Of Princesses, and Of Cupcakes.
-clarita
I love pink! I always have liked it, just like Zoe does now, and I think I will still like it for a very long time. :)
You do a great job of mothering your girls! Zoe is going to remember these kind of memories for the rest of her life. Enjoy every little moment with them! Drink every little bit of love and joy out of life that you can!
P.S. If you are looking for a photography coarse, I’ve been enjoying NYIP (New York Institute of Photography). Don’t pay the price for the coarse that they first send to you. They will keep trying to get you to sign up and will keep lowering the price a bit. They even throw in a few freebies when you sign up! :)
Oh so dreamy! I makes me wish Eliza had a sister… just so I could have two little girls with matching aprons in MY kitchen :) Personally, I just don’t think you can beat a box cake (of course I can’t bake a cake to save my life!).
What a “sweet” post! The aprons are as delicious looking as the little cup cakes , how cute they are~
I loved all the little pink dressed photos of your girls! My oldest child still don’t like her picture…. I still try tho:O)
I enjoyed the entire post and I am not even your mom. :) Your girls are precious. I am so excited to do things will my little girl the bigger she gets. Right now I am happy when she crawls up in my lap and just lets me hold her. Now that she is walking there isn’t a whole lot of that so I eat up every minute. Such sweet memories you made.
I once had two little girls too.
and it IS fun!
….and now they’re growing up, but it’s still fun.
Your post took me down memory lane a little bit…
…remembering the pretty little dresses and playing dress-up.
Already that’s all fading away, and we’re doing less dresses and more blue jeans,
less dressing up and more doing-our-own-hair (in ways that appear to need a little help at times).
BUT
It’s all good and I’m thankful still for two girls.
It’s just not always the little, warm fuzzy it used to be.
Now it’s more about working on a relationship and giving them wings to fly!
Awww…such special times with your daughters. I love how I could read YOUR excitement in this post. I think that is one of the greatest things we can do as a Mother…DELIGHT in our children.
I think those cupcakes look quite yummy! And your girls are adorable!
aww!
such beautiful children
such fun times together
such delightful cupcakes
little times like this spent with little girls are just precious! i love the times when Ava and i do little baking projects…there is something so awesome about having a little girl (or two in your case!) to teach how to be ‘domestic’ and to love creating beautiful-ness!
pinkalicious is by far one of Ava’s favorites too. anything pink around here is greatness in her book!!
the picture upload limit thing? do you resize your pics before you upload them? i’m not an expert, but i do that with mine and can save tons of pics because of the smaller resolution size….just a thought.
happy rest of your week!
♥
Little girls ARE so much fun! I am so thankful to have two of them, and I’d love more!
Your matching aprons are so super cute! You do NOT look like you just woke up or you were up crying your eyes out…lol, you look adorable! You are so very beautiful!
Your girls are like little dollies…they are so cute!
And just for the record, I think you are a great photographer and your pictures are always fun to look through!
I agree with you, children set an example of how we should be toward God. It’s funny, but earlier this evening, I was thinking how life is so much simpler when we view God as the Father that He is. We are His children! He is there for us just like we are for our children, but on such a Greater scale.
I enjoyed your post..as usual!
Have a Great evening. =)
You are so funny! [In the good kind of way that just makes me want to enjoy the cupcake day and your girls right along with you. Oh and the comments about things being for your mom . . . those just cracked me up too. Maybe I’m tired and need to go to bed??] *Anyway* . . . you are a great mommy, you know, and you inspire me to be more gentle and “smiley” for my children, and to work a little harder in making the moments of our days pure happiness. Singing goes a long ways in this house . . . both to lift my spirits if THEY happen to be moaning or whining . . . and to make them forget whatever minor thing it was that they were so worked up over. I just “rediscovered” that trick tonight while cooking dinner. :) Kicked Claudia’s attitude right out the door and brought a smile to her face. Oh, and I love the fact that you used “boxed” stuff to make your beeUtiful cupcakes. I forget that I’m “allowed” to buy that kind of stuff sometimes instead of working my tail off to make from scratch . . . you have more time for the “fun” part doing it like you did. I’ll keep that in mind for my next baking day around here. Good night. I really must go to bed! LOVE you!
not a photographer?? girl, those pictures are awesome.
and i like “normal, and not perfect” :) i think that’s why we’re friends. ;)
good thoughts on going to God in child like faith~ yes, our kids are good teachers aren’t they~
and those cupcakes are so pretty… you’re like a younger, much prettier version of Martha Stewart!! :)
So precious to be a mom of girls, and see all that God puts in them. I came from a family of girls, and then God gave me a family of 3 boys! They are so fun too, in a different way. Now I have a little adopted granddaughter at church…her mom lived with us before she got married, so it has been fun to experience a girly girl.
GREAT APRONS! Lovely living in the little moments and enjoying them so much. I remember baking always being appreciated, but we would make a mess!! Somehow when my husband baked with boys there was more control.
I am going to be doing a series of mom posts from my conference on Motherhood I went to. I will have to find the ref. to the princess character books…one of the talks was by the mom/author of those. They were so cute, and her two little princesses were there all dressed up.
Very cute cupcakes, Clarita! And I agree, your girls are precious. I wish I knew them!
this is so, SO cute! there IS something super cute about little girls and i LOVE watching sisters interact. i was super excited when we were having a boy first because i LOVED having a big brother growing up. but wow i was soooo excited to have two little girls next. and then…. well i thought there was enough drama in the house for now and was QUITE happy to find out that a boy was on the way!:)
anyway… so fun chating with you the other day. LOVE your xanga posts. they are always so fun and thought provoking and always enjoy reading them. and i’m actually leaving a real comment today because i’m not typing with just one hand:)
hope you have a wonderful day!!!
Your little pinkalicious day is just precious. It makes me want to be a fun mommy like you someday. And it makes me feel all special that you wear my little non-Anthropologie aprons and even like them. And I want you to have two more girls, too. Or maybe ten. Your little family is my favorite and my best.
Reagan stood behind me and awwwed and ooohhhed over the entire post. She is a Princess every day, always dressing up and loves girly things! :) Constant chatter, laughing and giggling, ruffles, lace and pink, dressing up, add some drama and you have a girl!!
@embracingbeauty – – Thanks for the recommendation! I’d like to check out that school…
@inanorchard – Can’t beat a cake mix is right. :) And frosting in a can too. Ha!
@myall4christ81 – Oh, you’ll have so much fun when she gets older! There will be lots of drama too, but just pure fun as well. :)
@totallycherished – you make me realize this stage will not be forever, even though on my bad days it feels like we’ll always be in the stage with little kids… Thanks for that reminder, to just take it easy and enjoy today!
@foreveranoatneygirl – Thanks to YOU for that great post you did a long time ago on cupcake liners. Like I said, never in a hundred years would’ve I thought of something so cute. :)) And I do resize all my pictures to much lower resolution. I think I just upload many more pictures than the normal person. :{
@Elizabethmarie_1 – I like your comment, about God being our Father… and especially about it being much simpler when we view it that way. So so true!!
@FOREVERLANE – Singing… hmmm, I think I need to try that, like, this very moment. Big sister isn’t liking little sister’s messy way of fixing “fences” for animals, and she’s well nigh unto hysterics over it. :{
@ABAHM – I’m glad to know about those “mom posts” you’ll be doing! I’d like to read them!
@Jabber_wock – I wish too you knew them. And that I knew yours. :)
@dreamstillcometrue – oh my word. They are the cutest aprons I’ve ever owned. Anthro or not – that’s not the point. The cuteness factor IS, and who gave them! :)
@madisonsmom2 – Reagan sounds so cute! Sounds like she and Zoe would have fun playing together!
this post makes me look forward to the day we get to do lots of pink….. beautiful girls you have and they are blessed to have you as their mother.
your intertwining of relationships? i followed ju.st.fine. :)
love all the pretty and pink and yummy and sticky and princessy and sweetness!
stunning! stunning!
i felt like i was hugged this morning. :)
jealous of the cute aprons. that in on my “list” (mental list) of things i want to make. it seems like an relatively easy thing to make (??) with lots of opportunity for adding cute details. LOVE yours and zoe`s!
the song on your site by celtic thunder is so pretty– sometimes i leave it on when i walk away. funny, the other night there were a bunch of teens here, and they brought along a music video they loved and i got to watch this song as a music video. i thought of you. :)
ps. when my girls wake up, i want to show this to them…
This is a very sweet and pretty post. I love getting my dose of girly when I come here. :) Your header is really cute and I like the other pictures, too. The sunny lighting pictures don’t look harsh to me–I like them! The ones of holding the cupcakes are sooo cute. And just for the record, when I saw the pj one on FB, I thought, “Only Clarita would look so stunning even in pjs and morning hair.” :) Hoping I will get a chance, no make that, will get around to emailing soon. Lots to say. :)