Milestone #5476857645

Charlotte had her ears pierced this past weekend. She hopped off the bus on Friday afternoon literally begging me to go right. that. very. minute. So, being the uber cool mom that I am - I took her out and had it done before she had a chance to think about it too much and change her mind!

Charlotte is a free thinker. A free spirit. She takes life by the horns and lives it to the fullest. And even that first ear punch made her cry... she sat as still as a statue so the girl could get the second one even with the first, in just the right place. That's my Charlotte.

Everyone loves a Blue Eyed Girl.

And according to Charly, they love her even more now that she possess her first real bling.

Brat.

Madison and I struggle with each other all the time. She's at the age now, where she is really starting to assert herself. I know she is busy learning who she is, and what she's all about -- and a part of that requires her to test who she is apart from me. But BOY do I wish we could do that without the constant bickering!

She is 7 going on 17 for sure. If this is what life is now, it scares me to think what life will be like in another 10 years.

I know, that this too shall pass. And there are still moments where the teenage agressiveness that she seems to enjoy engaging in so much melts away... and for a moment, I have a little girl back again. Those moments are fewer and farther between now, but I guess that makes me cherish them all the more.

Old Friends.

Few people are lucky enough to be blessed with truly good friends. Great friends. Friends who tell you the good things without sparing the bad. That share the happiness in your life, and are there for you thru the rough times. The ones that never doubt you, never underestimate you, or fail to support you. The kind that will call you on your bullshit and laugh with you when you really need it.

They are the ones in your life that keep your head above water when it feels like you're drowning.

I have friends like this.

I'm truly lucky.

The Tooth Fairy.

The tooth fairy is scheduling a stop at our house tonite! Charlotte lost her very first tooth today. There is good news, and there is bad news. The good news is, the tooth fairy is pretty generous around these parts in relation to losing that first tooth. The bad news... we have no tooth. We think she must have eaten it! The teacher sent a note home from school today, and said that she didn't even think that CHARLOTTE noticed it was missing until someone asked her about it.


I told her that the Tooth Fairy is pretty good at accepting notes explaining what happened to the tooth.

It's amazing to me how fast Charlotte seems to be growing up... she's just right on the heels of her older sister. I guess that's par for the course, but I'm not sure I'm ready for all that it entails quite yet!!!

An Update on Maddie....

We got her test results back.... seems that the doctor feels there is a need to take things a step further and get her in with a pediatric endocrinologist. I am glad to see that I am not just a "worried" mom, but that my worries have some precedence now. He seems to think that more than likely everything will come back fine -- but we always err on the side of caution in this family. Especially when it comes to something like this.... which could be a sign of something more serious, like kidney issues. And since we have kidney issues in our immediate family (my sister in law), I am taking no chances!

Her appointment is on the 26th of this month. Wish us luck!

GOAAAAAAAAAAAAL!

This past Saturday, Charlotte finally scored her first goal in a soccer game. She has really WANTED IT for so long now, and this weekend, she stepped up to the plate, took charge, and
SCORED!

I was the annoying, screaming, soccer mom. How could I help it?! She has worked so hard to get to where she is, playing hard and practicing hard... and truthfully, it warms my heart to see her doing something so physical with her asthma. I used to worry when she was a bit younger about how she would cope... how she would get on with being a "normal" kid... but she has pushed all that worry aside this year. She owns it. She is really confident in herself, in her abilities, and everything. She makes me so proud on a daily basis.

Congratulations Charlotte, my little soccer star!!!!

Pout Pout

This photograph kind of sums up my last week. At times, I have wanted to stomp my foot, hold my breath, and scream until I was blue in the face. But I didn't... because, well, that's just not how grown ups act, is it?

My grandmother passed away on Sunday, so the past few days have been a blur. Funeral homes, church services, shaking the hands of total strangers telling me how sorry they all are. It was exhausting... absolutley exhausting.

The kids were great. They were champs thru the whole thing... although it really is hard trying to explain death to a 3, 5, and 7 year old. I think they kept expecting her to get up, wake up, give them a hug. And she didn't. And that, more than anything, made them sad. My 7 year old sobbing into the shoulder of my 7 year old nephew... it was hard to watch.

I'm glad it's over. My grandmother was a great lady... and I'll miss her.

Maddie's a Teacup.

Maddie is 7. She has always been small for her age, or like I like to call it -- Petite. It has been a subject of constant worry for me. People are always asking me:

"Is she on vitamins?"

"Does she drink enough milk?"

"Don't you think you should force her to eat green veggies?"

The truth of the matter is, the child is just small... and I guess today it's come up to the forefront again of conversation. At her well check up today, the doctor noted her growth (or lack thereof) on her chart, and ordered her a bone age scan. We go to the hospital tomorrow to get it done. I know in my heart that she is just tiny, she is just a little delicate thing, with a lot of spunk. But my brain likes to run wild with stories and thoughts of kidney disease and everything else under the sun. So if you have a few minutes today, say a prayer for my little teacup.